Sischo Named ECC Preseason Player of the Year for Unprecedented Fourth Time

10/21/2021 2:13:00 PM

By: CONTACT: Mike Miranto, Sr. Associate A.D. for External Operations & Communications | (716) 839-8385 | mmiranto@daemen.edu

AMHERST, N.Y. - Daemen College graduate student Andrew Sischo (Guilderland, N.Y.) has been named the East Coast Conference Men's Basketball Preseason Player of the Year for an unprecedented fourth time, the conference announced today. Sischo's selection comes after a vote of the 10 head coaches representing ECC institutions, and he becomes the first-ever four-time honoree. The 6-foot-9 center followed his three previous selections by earning ECC Player of the Year honors at the conclusion of each season.

A two-time consensus All-American, Sischo is back for a fifth season with the Wildcats after the NCAA granted additional eligibility to student-athletes impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. He is arguably the most decorated student-athlete in Daemen history as he's amassed 2,223 points and 1,101 rebounds in 104 games played. Already a four-time All-ECC first-teamer, Sischo has also been named the East Region Player of the Year twice.

Sischo is coming off his best collegiate season as he averaged 26.9 points and 13.0 rebounds per contest while shooting 63% from the field. He set a program record for single-season scoring average and led the country in double-doubles (13) for a second straight season, increasing his career total to 60. He was named the Most Outstanding Player at the NCAA Division II East Regional where he led the Wildcats to a 71-70 defeat of rival St. Thomas Aquinas for the program's first-ever regional championship and subsequent trip to the Elite Eight.

Already with more points than any player in Daemen history, Sischo enters his final collegiate campaign just 25 points shy of becoming the ECC's all-time leading scorer. He needs just three caroms to become Daemen's all-time leading rebounder, and 180 boards for the conference's all-time record. Sischo has already set Daemen and ECC single-season records for points (773) and field goals (298), and has scored more points, rebounds and double-doubles than any other active Division II player in the country.

Sischo's dominance has been at the forefront of Daemen's team success. In his career to date, Sischo has led the Wildcats to an 80-28 overall record, a 50-11 conference mark and three NCAA tournament berths.

Sischo and the Wildcats will open the 2021-22 season by participating in the Division II Conference Commissioner's Association (D2CCA) Tip-Off Classic in Canyon, Texas where they'll face three NCAA tournament qualifiers from last season. The October 29 opener pits Daemen against Minnesota State Moorhead.

Daemen College features the premier NCAA Division II athletics program in the Buffalo-Niagara region, sponsoring 18 intercollegiate teams. For the latest information on Daemen Athletics, follow the Wildcats via social media on Twitter, Facebook, YouTube and Instagram, or sign up to receive customizable news alerts, e-mail newsletters and weekly schedule alerts.

Follow the Daemen College men's basketball program on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook at @DaemenMBB.

Print Friendly Version