BELLEVUE, Neb. -- Senior guard Jelani Johnson and junior guards James Parrott and Richard Shepherd were named to the 2011-12 all-Midlands Collegiate Athletic Conference men's basketball team as the select 10-member squad was announced today. In addition, Johnson was named the MCAC Defensive Player of the Year and Shane Paben was named the MCAC Coach of the Year.

The selections were announced in conjunction with the 2012 MCAC Men's Basketball Tournament being held this Friday and Saturday, Feb. 24-25 at the Gordon Lozier Athletic Center on the Bellevue University campus.

Parrott led the Bruins in scoring, averaging 19.3 points and 6.8 rebounds per game. He ranks second on the team in blocks (34) and steals (35) and is third in assists with 72. Parrott has been named the MCAC Player of the Week three times this season.

Johnson is averaging 12.2 points and 5.3 rebounds per game, while leading the Bruins with 109 assists and 41 steals. 

Shepherd is second on the team in scoring with 14.8 points per game. He leads the Bruins with 77 3-pointers and is second with 95 assists. 

Ousseynou Diop earned honorable mention honors. Diop, last season's conference Defensive Player of the Year, averages 9.0 points and 8.0 rebounds per game. He has also recorded 71 blocked shots which ranks third in NAIA Division II.

Paben earned his second MCAC Coach of the Year after guiding the Bruins to the MCAC regular season title for the third time in his career. Paben also earned the honor for the 2009-10 season. 

The Bruins are currently ranked No. 7 nationally with a 25-5 overall record and a 13-1 conference mark. Bellevue claimed the MCAC regular season title, five games ahead of Central Christian College, York College, and Oklahoma Wesleyan University, who all finished with 8-6 league records. 

Player of the Year: Mike Wiebe, College of the Ozarks
Newcomer of the Year: Brady Fairbanks, Haskell Indian Nations University
Freshman of the Year: Spencer Caraway, Central Baptist College
Defensive Player of the Year: Jelani Johnson, Bellevue University
Coach of the Year: Shane Paben, Bellevue University

2011-12 All-MCAC Team
Tyler Averill, Southwestern Christian University
Brady Fairbanks, Haskell Indian Nations University
Brian James, Oklahoma Wesleyan University
Jelani Johnson, Bellevue University
Chris Jones, Central Christian College
Michael Lyons, Central Christian College
James Parrott, Bellevue University
Richard Shepherd, Bellevue University
Thaddeus Varmall, York College
Mike Wiebe, College of the Ozarks

Honorable Mention
Caleb Gentry, Oklahoma Wesleyan University
Desmond Strickland, York College
Weston Wiebe, College of the Ozarks
Spencer Caraway, Central Baptist College
Kaelon Gary, Central Christian College
Keenan Gaskin, York College
Ousseynou Diop, Bellevue University
Marcus Johnson, York College
Trey Osborne, Haskell Indian Nations University
Blake Hanney, Central Baptist College
Gavin McDaniel, Central Baptist College
Tommy Williams, Central Baptist College
Nolan Dennis, Oklahoma Wesleyan University
Glenn Irwin, Southwestern Christian University
Dee Ellison, York College