KANSAS CITY, Mo. – Northwest Missouri State University junior guard Justin Pitts has been named to the National Basketball Coaches of America (NABC) All-America Team. He becomes just the second student-athlete in Northwest history to be recognized by the organization, joining DeShaun Cooper in 2014.
Pitts, the career scoring record holder at Northwest with 1,850 points, has twice been named the MIAA Player of the Year and is a three-time First Team All-MIAA honoree. He has scored in double figures in 31-of-33 games this season, averaging 20.5 per game. He was the All-Central Regional Tournament MVP last week, leading the Bearcats to the Elite Eight for just the third time in program history. Pitts holds the top-two single season scoring records, scoring 693 points last season and 675 this year. He also ranks second all-time with 671 made field goals.
On Monday, Pitts was named the Basketball Times Player of the Year and was named to the All-America first team by the publication and the D2CCA.
2017 NABC COACHES’ DIVISION II ALL-AMERICA TEAM
Matt Bingaya, Fairmont State, 6-4, Senior, Forward/Guard, Delaware, Ohio
Joshua Blaylock, Fort Lewis, 6-2, Senior, Guard, Lancaster, Calif.
Luquon Choice, Lincoln Memorial, 6-3, Senior, Guard, Laurens, S.C.
Devin Gilligan, Southern New Hampshire, 6-5, Senior, Forward, Amherst, N.H.
Zach Hankins, Ferris State, 6-10, Sophomore, Post, Charlevoix, Mich.
Jeremiah Hill, Valdosta State, 6-2, Senior, Guard, Savannah, Ga.
Aaron Lien, MSU Moorhead, 6-4, Senior, Guard, Moorhead, Minn.
Justin Pitts, Northwest Missouri State, 5-9, Junior, Guard, Blue Springs, Mo.
Justin Reyes, St. Thomas Aquinas, 6-4, Junior, Guard/Forward, Haverhill, Mass.
Devin Schmidt, Delta State, 6-4, Senior, Guard, Sevierville, Tenn.
Keshun Sherrill, Augusta, 5-9, Senior, Guard, Cleveland, N.C.
Dustin Sleva, Shippensburg, 6-8, Junior, Forward, Pittsburgh, Pa.
Michael Smith, California Baptist, 6-4, Senior, Guard, South San Francisco, Calif.
Taylor Stafford, Western Washington, 6-1, Senior, Guard, Chicago, Ill.
Jeril Taylor, Southern Indiana, 6-4, Senior, Guard, Louisville, Ky.
Seth Youngblood, Arkansas-Fort Smith, 6-1, Senior, Guard, Roland, Okla.
— Northwest Athletics —