NJCAA bestows major honors to South Suburban's Carter, Milwaukee's Casey

The National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA) looked highly upon the level of play within Region IV as it announced its 2019-20 national award winners in men's basketball. South Suburban College's Courtney Carter was selected as the NJCAA Division II National Player of the Year, while Milwaukee Area Technical College's Randy Casey was chosen as NJCAA Division II National Coach of the Year, with both awards presented by TicketSmarter.

Carter, a sophomore guard, filled the stat sheet on a nightly basis with per game averages of 15.7 points, 7.9 rebounds, 7.9 assists, and 5.5 steals. The Memphis, Tennessee, native posted impressive shooting percentages of 51% from the field and 40.5% from beyond the arc. Carter, who has committed to NCAA Division I SIU-Edwardsville, was also named the Region IV Player of the Year, the Region IV Tournament Most Valuable Player, and earned NJCAA First Team All-American one year after sitting out a whole season with a foot injury. Carter and the Bulldogs were awarded the #6 seed in the NJCAA DII National Championships with a 29-4 record prior to its cancellation amid the COVID-19 Pandemic.

In the press release from the NJCAA, Carter and SSC head coach John Pigatti provided the following statements:

"It is a great honor to win the National Player of the Year. I could not have done it without the great players and teammates I had around me. Working hard takes so much out of you for the moment, but puts so much in you for the future. It paid off."

"I am extremely happy for Courtney to receive this honor. He has had a tough go at it with breaking his foot during the end of his freshman year and still playing the Regional and National Tournaments with it.  Then his medical redshirt last year rehabbing the foot. His toughness, resilience, and hard work paid off in receiving this award. Courtney is a special person, and I was honored to be his coach."

One year after guiding Milwaukee Area Technical College to its first-ever national tournament appearance, Randy Casey once again had the Stormers flying high. MATC-Milwaukee climbed to the #1 spot in the NJCAA Division II Poll on February 17 and held the top spot the rest of the season, thanks to a 24-game win streak. Casey guided Milwaukee to its first-ever North Central Community College Conference championship with an undefeated record, as well as a successful defense of their Region IV title to once again qualify for the national tournament. At 31-1, the Stormers were awarded the #1 seed, however, the tournament was canceled due to the COVID-19 Pandemic. Casey also earned N4C and Region IV Coach of the Year honors.

In the press release from the NJCAA, Casey provided the following statement:

"I am grateful and honored to receive this award when there are many deserving coaches in the NJCAA. I want to say thank you to my staff, our supporters, and to Milwaukee Area Technical College for giving me the opportunity to lead this program. But none of this would've even been possible without the young men on this team. This award is truly theirs for all the hard work, dedication, and belief in this program, coaching staff, and each other. They made this season extremely special and one for the record books at Milwaukee Area Technical College."

 (Images courtesy of NJCAA and Milwaukee Area Technical College Athletics)