GREENVILLE, S.C. – The National Christian College Athletic Association (NCCAA) announced its All-Central Region Team on Monday and after leading Mid-America Christian to another incredible season, head coach Josh Gamblin has been tabbed the region's Coach of the Year while senior guards Josiah Fulcher and Juwan White have been named to the First Team.
Due to both Fulcher and White being selected to the First Team, both players will be in-contention for NCCAA All-American contention.
This season, the Evangels received an at-large berth to the NAIA Tournament after finishing the regular season and Sooner Athletic Conference Tournament play with a 22-8 overall record and finished in a tie for second in the extremely competitive SAC standings with a 17-7 league mark. It is the seventh time in the last 10 years, including six of the last seven seasons the Evangels have qualified for the NAIA Tournament.
MACU has picked up some massive victories throughout the season, including an 88-67 win over No. 8 Langston on Jan. 20, a 70-52 victory over SAC Champion Nelson on Jan. 18, a pair of 71-67 and 69-68 wins over Wayland Baptist on Jan. 11 and Feb. 24 as well as an 81-73 victory over Texas Wesleyan in the SAC Quarterfinal on Feb. 27.
A senior guard from Lima, Ohio, Fulcher has been the offensive leader for the Evangels all season. After being named the SAC Newcomer of the Year and an All-SAC First Team honoree, Fulcher earned All-Region First Team accolades after scoring 478 points (15.9 ppg) on an outstanding 48.4 percent shooting clip, including going 35.6 percent from three and 84.3 percent from the foul line.
Fulcher was also one of the team's leading rebounders, ripping down 168 boards (5.6 rpg) while dishing out 76 assists and tallying 36 steals on the defensive end.
A senior guard from Dacula, Georgia, White spearheaded the MACU offensive efforts as the team's starting point guard. While being a strong scoring contributor at 430 points (14.3 ppg) while shooting 42.9 percent from the floor and 30.6 percent from range, White's biggest contributions came from the free throw line and passing game as he leads the team in free throw shooting (118-of-140, 84.3 percent) as well as assists at 120 (4.0 apg). White also led MACU's on-ball defensive efforts with 46 steals (1.5 spg).
Mid-America Christian will open NAIA Tournament play on Friday as the No. 10 seed Evangels will battle No. 7 seed Oklahoma Wesleyan at 1:30 p.m. inside the DeWitt Gymnasium on the campus of Dordt University in Sioux Center, Iowa.
