Pitt-Bradford men's basketball player Evan Greening has been named one of 10 finalists for the 2017 Jostens Trophy, an award honoring the most outstanding NCAA Division III men's basketball player.
The Jostens Trophy is awarded to someone who excels on the court, in the classroom and in the community. The award is designed and sponsored by Jostens and the Rotary Club of Salem, Virginia, and this season marks the 20th presentation of the award.
The names, qualifications and ballots of the 10 finalists will be forwarded to the National Selection Committee Wednesday, which consists of coaches, directors of athletics, members of sports media, and business and local leaders, including prominent national figures. The winner will be honored at a banquet March 16 in conjunction with the NCAA Division III Men's National Championship in Salem.
Greening, the Allegheny Mountain Collegiate Conference Preseason Player of the Year, led the league in scoring (20.2) and rebounding (14.3) for the second straight season. This year the senior forward broke the conference record for total rebounds in a season (328) held by former Panther Matt Beacom (2002-03). Greening finished the 2016-17 campaign with 357 rebounds, and his rebounds-per-game average is also a new AMCC record.
In addition to excelling on the court, Greening has volunteered with Special Olympics; the American Red Cross; Read Across America, a program in which volunteers read to elementary students; and the Mountain Lion Backpack program, helping provide lunches for students who are unable to afford their own. The Fredericksburg, Virginia, native is an Eagle Scout and has also worked in his local community labeling storm drains to prevent dumping of toxic waste that flows to the Rappahannock River.
Additionally, Greening has worked at numerous basketball camps, including free clinics for young athletes who are unable to attend paid elite camps.
In the classroom, Greening maintains a 3.5 GPA as a dual-major in history/political science and social studies education and is a member of Chi Alpha Sigma, the student-athlete honor society, and Phi Alpha Theta, the national history honor society.
It's the second honor of its kind for Greening, who was named to the 2017 Allstate NABC Good Works Team® earlier this month, recognizing student-athletes for their impressive commitment to bettering communities all over the world and positively impacting the lives of those around them. He will represent Pitt-Bradford at the 2017 NCAA Division I Men's Final Four® in Phoenix in April.
Greening also appeared on the 2016-17 Clarence "Bevo" Francis Award Top 100 Watch List, which recognizes the player with the top overall season in the country among schools in NCAA Division II, NCAA Division III, NAIA Division I, NAIA Division II, USCAA and NCCAA.
