The Skyline Conference announced its 2016-17 men’s basketball all-conference teams and Yeshiva University earned two major awards. Freshman guard Simcha Halpert was named the Rookie of the Year, while head coach Elliot Steinmetz was named the Coach of the Year. Sophomore guard Judah Cohen earned a spot on the all-conference first team.

Halpert was named the Skyline Conference Rookie of the Week on four separate occasions. The Los Angeles resident was second on the team in scoring, with an average of 13 points per game. The rookie phenom shot.449 (102-for-227) from the field and.382 (58-for-152) from beyond the arc. Defensively, Halpert forced 24 steals and blocked 12 shots this season.

Cohen was inducted into the Skyline Conference Weekly Honor Roll five times this season. The Englewood resident finished the season tenth in the Skyline in scoring with an average of 14.9 points per game. He also had a team-high 53 steals this year. Cohen shot.457 (129-for-282) from the field and led the conference in three-point field goal percentage with.417 (86-for-206). His game average of 3.4 field goals from beyond the arc also led the Skyline.

Steinmetz (‘02) has led the Maccabees to a berth in the Skyline Conference championships all three years he had been at the helm, so far. This season, he led Yeshiva to a 15-10 overall record and 11-5 in Skyline play. Last season, the YU alumnus led the men’s basketball team to its first home playoff game and victory since 2002. Steinmetz has coached three all-conference players so far in his career, as well as the new Rookie of the Year, Halpert.

By Yumacs.com