Simon Blair named GMAC Tournament MVP

HILLSDALE, Mich. — At the conclusion of the Great Midwest Athletic Conference men's basketball championship tournament, the coaches voted on the annual All-Tournament team. Three members for the surprise tournament champion Malone University Pioneers were honored, led by area standout Simon Blair, a 2020 South Central graduate. The fifth-year senior guard was named the GMAC Tournament MVP for his performances throughout the week for Malone (16-15). The Pioneers were the No. 7 seed among the eight-team field and entered the tournament with a 13-15 overall record. But led by Blair, the Pioneers upset Kentucky Wesleyan, Hillsdale and Thomas More in a five-day span. The Greenwich native scored 66 points and had 15 assists in the three games to average 22 points and five assists per game on 38 minutes played per night. Blair tied his career-high with 26 points in the win over Hillsdale College in the semifinal round and tied his best mark of eight assists in the championship game victory over Thomas More. Further, he was 26-for-52 (50 percent from the field in the three wins. With the GMAC title, the Pioneers earned an automatic bid to the NCAA Division II tournament. Malone will face No. 10-ranked Missouri S&T in a first round game at 6 p.m. Saturday in Springfield, Ill. On March 6, it was announced that Blair was voted to his second straight GMAC first team selection. He averaged 16.9 points per game during league play and was third in the conference in scoring. Blair also had the second-most assists per game in the GMAC at 3.8 per game. His 34.8 minutes per game was third in the conference as well. He shot 43.2 percent from the floor, 34.4 percent from three and 77.6 percent from the free-throw line. In 31 starts this season, Blair leads Malone in points, assists and minutes played. He will enter the NCAA tournament averaging 16.4 points, 2.5 rebounds and 3.8 assists per game. Also this season, Blair broke the 1,000-point mark for his collegiate career. His next two points will give him 1,400 career points for the Pioneers, which unofficially moves him into the top 25 in program history.