D3hoops.com Release

FORT WAYNE, Ind. - Senior Matthew Leritz (St. Louis, Mo.-St. Louis University) added another accolade to his growing list Saturday night, March 19, as the Illinois Wesleyan University men's basketball senior forward was named a First Team All-American by D3hoops.com. 

Leritz garnered All-American honors from D3hoops.com for the second straight season with his selection after being named a second team honoree in 2021. He is the first Titan to garner First Team All-American status from the organization since Zach Freeman did so in 2007.

Leritz, who broke the IWU single-game rebounding record with 25 boards at Yeshiva, Dec. 30, averaged 17.8 points, 9.5 rebounds, and 2.5 assists per contest this season. He shot 55.7 percent from the floor and 43.4 percent from three-point range and was named to the Bevo Francis Award Top-50 watch list by Small College Basketball. Leritz scored 535 points during the 2021-22 campaign, a total that ranks 16th in IWU single season history. Additionally, his 286 rebounds rank ninth in Illinois Wesleyan single season laurels and are the most by a Titan since Bill Braksick grabbed 347 (fourth-most) boards during the 1987-88 season.

A senior co-captain, Leritz eclipsed the 1000 career point mark in IWU's win over Wheaton in the NCAA Tournament Sweet Sixteen. Leritz needed just 87 games to become the school's 43rd member of the 1000-point club. Only Dean Padgett and Dean Gravlin achieved the mark quicker, doing so in 78 and 81 games, respectively.

This award is just the latest in a long list of accomplishments by Leritz this season. He was named a finalist for the prestigious Josten's Award, with the winner set to be announced later this month, while he reeled in All-Region honors from NABC and D3hoops.com earlier this week. Leritz was named the region's player of the year by both organizations, while he was also recognized as CoSIDA's Men's Basketball Academic All-America of the Year. The College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin Fred Young Player of the Year, Leritz was a unanimous First Team All-CCIW honoree, a three-time CCIW Player of the Week selection, a three-time D3hoops.com Team of the Week awardee, and the US Basketball Writers of America National Division III Player of the Week during the season.

Leritz led the Titans to an Elite Eight appearance in the NCAA Division III Tournament. The Green and White won the CCIW Regular Season Championship outright and finished the year with a record of 24-6.

The 2022 D3hoops.com All-America team is our 25th annual national awards, selected by D3hoops.com staff from nominees for D3hoops.com All-Region.

Player of the Year: Buzz Anthony, G, Randolph-Macon
Rookie of the Year: John Adams, F, WPI
Coach of the Year: To be announced following the title game.

First team
G	Buzz Anthony	Randolph-Macon	Sr.	Arnold, Md.
G	Jack Davidson	Wabash	Sr.	Fishers, Ind.
G	Matthew Schner	Emory	Sr.	Boca Raton, Fla.
F	Ryan Turell	Yeshiva	Sr.	Lawrence, N.Y.
F	Matthew Leritz	Illinois Wesleyan	Sr.	St. Louis, Mo.
Second team
G	Lukas Isaly	Marietta	Sr.	Clarington, Ohio
G	Jake Rhode	Elmhurst	Sr.	Chicago Heights, Ill.
G	Marcus Azor	Mass-Dartmouth	Sr.	Brockton, Mass.
F	Levi Borchert	UW-Oshkosh	Jr.	Kimberly, Wis.
F	Miles Mallory	Randolph-Macon	Jr.	Beltsville, Md.
Third team
G	Jack Nolan	Washington U.	Sr.	Downers Grove, Ill.
G	Nyameye Adom	Wheaton (Ill.)	Sr.	Orlando, Fla.
G	Josiah Johnson	Mary Hardin-Baylor	Jr.	Big Sandy, Texas
G/F	Austin Grunder	Cortland	Jr.	Trumansburg, N.Y.
C	Jarred Houston	Emerson	Sr.	Norwood, Mass.
Fourth team
G	Jason Ellis	Marietta	Sr.	Marion, Ohio
G	Dimetri Chambers	Oglethorpe	Sr.	Savannah, Ga.
G	Ethan Anderson	UW-La Crosse	Sr.	Black River Falls, Wis.
F	Josh Gregory	SUNYIT	Sr.	Whitesboro, N.Y.
F	Alex Sobel	Middlebury	Jr.	Setauket, N.Y.
Fifth team
G	Jaecee Martin	St. Joseph (Conn.)	Sr.	Hartford, Conn.
G	Conner Delaney	Johns Hopkins	Sr.	Garnet Valley, Pa.
G	Brendan Mora	Pomona-Pitzer	Jr.	Palo Alto, Calif.
G	Sam Peek	Wesleyan	Sr.	Poughkeepsie, N.Y.
F	Bobby Hawkinson	New York University	Sr.	Frankfort, Ill.