Ali named Mid-Florida Conference Player of Year, six players honored

Eastern Florida State College men's basketball player Ahmed Ali worked on his game all summer, preparing for his sophomore season.

That hard work has paid off as the point guard who has hit more 3-pointers in two seasons than any player under head coach Jeremy Shulman was named the Mid-Florida Conference Player of the Year.

"I was so happy when coach told me, he threw me a basketball and said Ahmed, you are the player of the year in the conference. I am just so humbled and grateful for this," Ali said after a net cutting ceremony Monday at Titan Field House. "I am so happy to be somewhere that I can display my skills and coach Shulman has allowed me the freedom to play. I am truly grateful for the opportunity I have been given here."

The Toronto, Canada native was named first team all-conference for the second straight season after a regular season in which he averaged 18.7 points, 4.6 assists and 3.1 rebounds. In his two seasons, he has already scored 1,116 points as the Titans head to the state tournament next week in Ocala.

Michael Nuga, Eli Abaev and Silas Adheke all joined Ali on the first team.

Nuga, a sophomore from Toronto, Canada, averaged 14.5 points and 3.8 rebounds this season and has eight 20-plus point games and had 35 against ASA Miami this season.

Abaev is second in Region 8 in rebounding, averaging 9.8 per game to go with 9.1 points per game. The sophomore from Deerfield Beach had seven double-doubles and in two seasons has 568 rebounds.

Adheke, a redshirt freshman from Chattanooga, Tennessee, became a starter in the middle of the season and averaged nine points and seven rebounds in those 11 games. For the season, Adheke averaged 6.9 points and 6.4 rebounds.

Shaq Carter and Nathanael Jack each made the second team while coach Shulman was named the Coach of the Year for the fifth straight season, first time in the Mid-Florida Conference.

For Carter it was the second straight season he has made the second team all-conference. The forward from Deerfield Beach averaged 8.6 points and 7.4 rebounds this season for the Titans.

Jack averaged 10.8 points per game and shot 41 percent from behind the 3-point line. The freshman from Canada is seventh in Region 8 in 3-pointers made this season.

"I'm so proud of our guys, and incredibly excited for them to get the recognition they deserve. All six players are very deserving, and all incredibly players. Extremely excited to have four players on the first team All-Conference!!!" Shulman said. "And very proud of Ahmed Ali for being named Conference Player of the Year, carrying on a tradition of former stars and current high major Division I standouts Kareem Brewton and CJ Jackson, among others. Exciting for our guys and the program."

The Titans will open the state tournament Wednesday, March 7 in Ocala against Chipola College.