NEWPORT NEWS — More post-season honors were announced Tuesday afternoon for the Christopher Newport University men’s basketball program. Senior Jahn Hines earned first team All-Region honors from D3hoops.com, and freshman Toa Hollenbeck was selected Rookie of the Year in the region. CNU Head Coach John Krikorian was also honored, named Region Coach of the Year for the second straight season, and third time in his career leading the Captains.
CNU finished the season on Saturday, falling at Guilford College, 50-48, in the NCAA Division III Men’s Basketball Tournament. The Captains had a final record of 24-7, and advanced to the NCAA quarterfinals for the fourth straight tournament, becoming just the fourth school to ever accomplish the feat.
Hines, who was named first team All-District earlier in the day by the National Association of Basketball Coaches, receives his third consecutive first team All-Region honor. The Norfolk native led the Captains this season by averaging 15.5 points per game and 5.2 rebounds per contest. He also topped the team in scoring in a dozen games, and scored a career-high 39 points in CNU’s victory at Berry College on New Year’s Day. In addition to his dynamic scoring, Hines also led the Captains in assists (79) and steals (44).
The Norview High School product is 11th on CNU’s all-time scoring list with 1,509 career points in 94 games played (16.1 points per game for his career). Hines this season was selected the Coast-To-Coast Athletic Conference’s Player of the Year for the second time in his career, and was also a member of the C2C’s All-Tournament team. He was voted the Player of the Week four times this season, more than any other player.
Hollenbeck, a freshman from Chesapeake, is the first Region Rookie of the Year in CNU history. He was selected the Freshman of the Year this year in the Coast-To-Coast Athletic Conference, and averaged 11.1 points per game coming off the bench. The Grassfield High School graduate saw action in all 31 games, and led the Captains with 55 made three-point field goals, and also topped the team in scoring seven times during his freshman season.
Hollenbeck scored 20 or more points five times, including a career-high 23 vs. Mary Washington at the Freeman Center on February 10th. Hollenbeck was selected the C2C’s Player of the Week once this season, and became the first CNU player to receive conference Rookie of the Year honors since Marcus Carter following the 2014-15 campaign.
Krikorian concluded his 13th season at the helm by leading CNU to the NCAA Tournament for the tenth time overall, and eighth consecutive appearance. His teams have reached the 20-win plateau 11 times, and he has recorded an overall mark of. 314-72 (.813) at CNU. He was also honored as the Region Coach of the Year following the 2018-19 season that saw the Captains go 29-4 and reach the Final Four, as well as last year when CNU was 30-3 and National Champions for the first time ever. He now has an all-time NCAA record of 26-8 at CNU.
Click HERE for the complete D3hoops.com regional honors list.
