PITMAN, N.J. – William Paterson's Jose Rebimbas was named the New Jersey Athletic Conference Men's Basketball “John K. Adams” Coach of the Year and senior forward Abdoulaye Ouedraogo (Newark, N.J./Newark Science) was selected as both the “Pony Wilson” Player of the Year and the Defensive Player of the Year, the league office announced Feb. 25. Ouedraogo was joined on the All-NJAC First Team by Pioneer senior guard Joseph Ellis (Newark, N.J./Newark Science).

Rebimbas, in his 15th season at William Paterson and his 16th season as a head coach, received his first NJAC Coach of the Year Award after leading the Pioneers to a 24-2 overall record and a 12-1 mark in conference play this season. William Paterson, ranked 10th in the current D3hoops.com Top 25 Poll, won the NJAC's North Division title, and earned the overall top seed for the conference tournament. Rebimbas earned his 300th career victory (300-133) and the Pioneers punched their ticket for the NJAC Tournament championship game with a 55-37 semifinal victory against North No. 3 Seed Ramapo (18-9) Feb. 24. William Paterson will host South No. 1 Seed Richard Stockton (20-6) in the final Saturday, Feb. 27, at 2:00 p.m.

Previously named the 2007-08 NJAC Defensive Player of the Year and a member of the All-NJAC First Team, the D3hoops.com All-Atlantic Region Second Team, the National Association of Basketball Coaches (NABC) All-Atlantic Second Team, the ECAC Metro Region All-Second Team and the PrestoSports/Metropolitan Basketball Writers Association (MBWA) Division III All-Third Team, Ouedraogo leads the Pioneers with a .534 field-goal percentage (seventh in NJAC), 7.3 rebounds (sixth in conference) and 2.2 blocked shots (second in league, 32nd in Division III) per game, adding 10.2 points per contest to rank second for the Pioneers. He has registered 12 double-digit scoring totals, three double-figure rebounding games and three double-doubles this season, including 11 points and 11 rebounds in the NJAC Tournament semifinal victory against Ramapo.

Ellis earned his first all-conference award after pacing the Pioneers with 14.5 points per game and a .386 three-point field-goal percentage, adding 3.7 rebounds, 1.6 assists and 1.6 steals per contest. In the NJAC statistics, he is sixth in three-point field-goal percentage, seventh in scoring and three-pointers made (1.96 pg), and ninth in steals, and he has registered 20 double-digit scoring totals this winter (five 20+). Earlier this season, Ellis was named the NJHoops.com January Player of the Month, the NJAC Player of the Week (Dec. 21, Jan. 18), the ECAC Metro Region Player of the Week (Jan. 19), a member of the D3hoops.com National Team of the Week (Dec. 22) and the Scotty Wood All-Tournament Team (Nov. 20-21), and the Coaches vs. Cancer Tournament MVP (Dec. 29-30). 

2009-10 NJAC MEN'S BASKETBALL ALL-CONFERENCE TEAM
"PONY WILSON" PLAYER OF THE YEAR: Abdoulaye Ouedraogo, William Paterson
ROOKIE OF THE YEAR: Isaiah Johnson, NJCU
DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE YEAR: Abdoulaye Ouedraogo, William Paterson
"JOHN K. ADAMS" COACH OF THE YEAR: Jose Rebimbas, William Paterson

FIRST TEAM
Name School Yr. Pos. Hometown/High School
Joseph Ellis William Paterson SR G Newark, NJ/Newark Science
Jonathan Jones^ Kean JR F Linden, NJ/Linden
Santini Lancioni* Richard Stockton SR G Runnemede, NJ/Paul VI
Abdoulaye Ouedraogo+ William Paterson SR F Newark, NJ/Newark Science
LaQuan Peterkin Ramapo SO F Paterson, NJ/John F. Kennedy

SECOND TEAM
Name School Yr. Pos. Hometown/High School
Jay Frank* TCNJ SR G Brick, NJ/Brick Memorial
James Johnson Rutgers-Newark SR G Summit, NJ/Summit
Andre Kenny Ramapo SR G Jersey City, NJ/Dickinson
Deshawn Singleton* Rutgers-Newark SR F Passaic, NJ/Passaic
Omar Smith^ Richard Stockton SR F Englewood, NJ/Dwight Morrow

HONORABLE MENTION
Name School Yr. Pos. Hometown/High School
Michael Farrow^ Richard Stockton JR G Whitesboro, NJ/Middle Township
Tyson Hartnett^ Rowan JR F Medford, NJ/Shawnee
Anthony LoRusso Ramapo SO G Mahwah, NJ/Don Bosco Prep
Allen Pritchett Rowan SR G Camden, NJ/Woodbury

Key:
* - First Team All-Conference 2008-09
^ - Honorable Mention 2008-09
+ - First Team All-Conference 2007-08