WALTHAM, Mass. -- Bentley University senior All-America guard Jason Westrol (Brielle, N.J./ Manasquan HS) has been chosen as the Northeast-10 Conference Men's Basketball Player of the Year by the conference's 16 head coaches.
Westrol, the first Bentley player to receive Player of the Year honors since Jim Ferrer in 1989, was also selected to the All-Conference first team for the second straight year. Also receiving All-Northeast-10 honors was junior forward Brian Tracey (Bow Mar, Colo./Heritage HS), a second-team selection.
The six-foot-three Westrol has had an outstanding senior year, as well as career, for the Falcons. He's led Bentley to a 22-5 record, entering the upcoming conference tournament, as well as rankings of number two in the NCAA Division II East Region and 14 in the latest National Association of Basketball Coaches Division II poll.
"I am very pleased to see Jason receive this award as a senior," stated coach Jay Lawson. "He is very deserving both in the way he has played and the way he has carried himself on the court. He's a complete player who can impact every part of the game and is, without a doubt, one of the greatest competitors we have ever had in our program. Jason is also a very humble and respectful person who teammates, coaches and opponents all hold in high regard. He's everything we want our seniors to be."
Westrol finished the regular season with averages of 20.7 points (second in the NE-10), 5.3 rebounds (tied for second on the team), a team-leading 3.9 assists and 2.3 steals (also number two in the conference). His scoring average is the highest by a Bentley player since Bill Holden in 1990, and he's become only the third Falcon to have three 500-point seasons.
Even more impressive might be some of the career numbers that he has strung together. Topping the list has to be his lifetime won-loss record. He has played in 128 games in a Falcon uniform, and Bentley is 114-14 in those contests, an eye-popping 100 games over .500. Monday's Northeast-10 Conference playoff opener against either UMass-Lowell or Assumption will be his 20th career postseason game, with the Falcons having won 15 of the previous 19.
Westrol is currently number two, behind Holden, in career points (1,931) and steals (236), and holds three Bentley career records: games started (124), consecutive starts (124) and field goals made (730). With 681 rebounds and 401 assists, he's also the only player in the program's history to rank in the top 17 of both of those categories.
Westrol is making his third appearance on the All-Conference team, having been a second-team selection as a sophomore before moving up to the first team last season. He's Bentley's first repeat first-teamer since J.D. Asselta in 1995 and 1996.
Tracey, in his first season as a starter, has averaged 14 points and 8.6 rebounds, the fifth highest total in the conference. He's a threat to score from inside or out (36 three-pointers), and is an outstanding foul shooter, connecting at an 88 percent clip.
Tracey, who finished the regular season with three straight 20-point games, is amongst the NE-10 leaders in double-doubles with eight.
NE-10 Video: NE-10 All-Conference Video (from Pack Network)
