ALTOONA'S NANCE NAMED TO NABC ALL-DISTRICT TEAM

Penn State Altoona men’s basketball’s senior guard/forward Ishimeal Nance picked up yet another high profile recognition on Monday for his standout performance during the 2017-18 season, when he was announced as being selected to the National Association of Basketball Coaches (NABC) Division III All-District team.

Nance was picked to the second team of the NABC’s All-Great Lakes District team, becoming the first Penn State Altoona men’s basketball player in program history to be selected to an NABC All-District squad. The senior is one of just 11 players in the Great Lakes district to earn All-District status.

The NABC All-District teams, which are voted on by member coaches of the NABC in the NCAA Division III, recognize the best men’s collegiate basketball student-athletes in the division.

“I can’t express enough how proud and excited I am for Ish and the continued recognition he’s receiving for his season,” said Penn State Altoona men’s basketball head coach David McGreal. “Being an NABC All-District performer is an exclusive club, and for us as a program to put someone on the NABC All-District team is a big deal. Again, Ish is the perfect person to receive this honor for us, as he helped carry us to our record-breaking season this year.” 

Nance’s inclusion on the All-Great Lakes District squad is the latest recognition in a string of postseason awards garnered by the senior. Last Thursday, Nance became the first player in Lions history to be chosen to play in the Reese’s Division III College All-Star Game when he was one of the top two vote-getters in a two-day fan vote. Prior to that, he was voted the Allegheny Mountain Collegiate Conference’s 2017-18 Men’s Basketball Player of the Year, took first team All-AMCC honors, and was picked to the conference’s all-tournament team for being one of the top performers during the league’s playoffs.

Nance led the AMCC in scoring during the 2017-18 season, averaging 19.1 points per game for a total of 515 points scored. He was also first in the conference in free throws made (127), second in minutes per game (32.4), defensive rebounds (166), total rebounds (212), and rebounds per game (7.9), third in field goals made (176), and sixth in steals (44). Nance set four new Penn State Altoona men's basketball single season records this year, becoming the program's new record-holder for points scored (515), free throws made (127), free throws attempted (165), and defensive rebounds (166) in a single year.

In 2017-18, Nance helped lead the Penn State Altoona men's basketball team to its best season in program history, as the Lions' total of 17 wins set a new team record for the most wins in a season. Penn State Altoona posted a 17-10 overall record, including a 13-5 mark in the AMCC that tied for third in the conference. The team earned its second consecutive berth into the AMCC Tournament, and it was also selected to compete in the Eastern College Athletic Conference's Division III Championship Tournament for the second straight year.