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John Carroll University Athletics

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All-OAC Men's Basketball 2024 Honors
Sean Finucane

Chicone Wins OAC Player of Year, Moran is Coach of Year, Frazier & Toppin All-OAC

| By: Joe Ginley '16, SID
Chicone is JCU's second OAC Player of the Year and Moran wins JCU's ninth OAC Coach of the Year award. 
UNIVERSITY HEIGHTS – The 2023-24 season has not been about numbers or accolades for John Carroll Men's Basketball. 

In the second season of a resurgence for the program, the Blue Streaks have focused moreso on team accolades and achievements, which has helped to lead them back to the Ohio Athletic Conference Tournament Championship for the first time 2020. But the accolades have arrived nonetheless. And the recognition from the OAC has arrived in spades.

For just the second time ever, a Blue Streak has been named the OAC's Dick Reynolds Player of the Year, as Luke Chicone has won the award in a vote by the OAC coaches. Joining him on the OAC First Team is the other half of the star combo, Luke Frazier.

For the ninth time, a Moran has won the OAC Coach of the Year award, with Pete Moran '08 achieving the honor for the third time as the leader of the Blue Streaks.

Joining Frazier and Chicone on the All-OAC team is Chase Toppin, snagging Second Team honors for a second straight season.

Frazier and Chicone make history as repeat First Teamers. In fact, no JCU duo has ever made the First Team together twice. David Linane and Simon Kucharewicz (2017), Corey Shontz and Mark Hester (2012), Shontz and Rudy Kirbus (2010), Mark Heidorf and Artie Taylor (1998) are the other JCU duos to achieve the feat in the same year.

Chicone joins elite company alongside recent JCU Hall of Fame inductee Corey Shontz as the only other Blue Streak to win the OAC's Player of the Year honors. The Player-of-the-Year was established in 2012 in honor of Dick Reynolds for his 40 years of service and dedication as the Otterbein University Men's Basketball Coach.

Luke Chicone has enjoyed a strong season in all aspects of the game. The Mentor native averages 18.6 points per game, good for fourth in the conference, but is also a contributor in several other ways. The former Cardinal is second in the OAC in both assists per game (5.1) and steals per game (2.1). Additionally, Chicone leads the league and stands 10th in Division III in assist/turnover ratio (3.09). Twice this season Chicone earned OAC Athlete of the Week honors.

Luke Frazier has been similarly awe-inspiring for Blue Streaks fans to watch. The junior is third in the OAC in points per game with 19.1. His game is electrifying, with double digit scoring in 22 of 25 games, 20-plus points in 12 games (including five of the last seven), and too many fun dunks to count. The Mentor native is also fifth in the conference in blocks per game (1.2) and ninth in rebounds per game (6.4), a marked uptick in boards from last year. The former Cougar's shot from long range has been dynamic, as his percentage and makes are up from 2022-23. 

Chase Toppin doesn't always get all the hype, but his contributions are vital for the Blue Streaks. The Cleveland Heights native brings another element to the game for JCU, forcing defenders to try to stop a third option. The Saint Ignatius grad averages 10.7 points per game, third on the team behind Frazier and Chicone. Toppin has also provided improved results from behind the arc, with career highs in makes and percentage from 3-point range. The junior has added 2.6 assists per game plus 41 steals, playing a vital role for JCU. 

Pete Moran '08 guided the Blue Streaks incredibly all season long. The seventh-year head coach steered the Streaks to the team's best OAC record in program history at 17-1. This is Moran's third OAC Coach of the Year honor after previously winning in 2023 and 2018. It is the ninth honor overall for a JCU coach in the OAC, as Mike Moran earned the distinction six times (1994, 1998, 2003, 2009, 2010 and 2017). Pete Moran has led JCU to the program's 11th appearance in the OAC title game. 

John Carroll will host the OAC Tournament Championship on Saturday for the first time since 2018. The Blue Streaks will look to win the team's first tournament title since 2018, with #2 seed Mount Union coming to the Tony DeCarlo Varsity Center at 2 pm. Tickets are on sale here.

JCU's Historical All-OAC First Team Selections:
John Bufford (1992 & 1993), J.J. Richardson (1996), Artie Taylor (1998), Mark Heidorf (1998 & 1999), David Gibbons (2003 & 2004), Brandon Mimes (2005 & 2007), Pete Moran (2006), Terry Walsh (2008), Rudy Kirbus (2009 & 2010), Maurice Haynes II (2011), Corey Shontz (2010 & 2012), Mark Hester (2012), Kyle Hubbard (2013), David Linane, Jr. (2015, 2016, 2017), Simon Kucharewicz (2017), Matthew Csuhran (2018), Ryan Berger (2020), Jackson Sartain (2021), Luke Chicone (2023, 2024), Luke Frazier (2023, 2024). 
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