Three Tartans Named All-UAA; Coaching Staff Receives Recognition

(ROCHESTER, N.Y.) – Three Carnegie Mellon University men's basketball players were named to the University Athletic Association (UAA) Men's Basketball Team when the league announced its postseason accolades on Tuesday. Senior Jack Stone and sophomore Justin Allen landed a spot of the first team while senior R.J. Holmes was named to the second team. The Tartan coaching staff (assistant coaches: Pat Martinelli, Colin Shaunnessey and Graham Elder) were also honored as the Coaching Staff of the Year under the direction of 34-year head coach Tony Wingen.

This marks Holmes' third straight All-UAA honor, as he appeared on the second team the last two seasons while it is the second for Stone and first for Allen. The Tartans finished the regular season with a 16-9 overall record and were 8-6 in the UAA on their way to the fourth NCAA appearance in program history. The 16 wins this season are the most in a season since 2008-09 when the team won 20 games, tying the school record, while the eight wins in UAA play are the most since the 2016-17 campaign.

Stone finished the regular season as the Tartans' second-leading scorer, averaging 13.2 points per game while appearing in 21 games with four starts. He averaged 13.9 points per game in UAA play, which ranked 10th. The senior shot 77.9% from the foul line converting 60-of-77 which was second on the team and ranked sixth in the UAA. Stone recorded four games scoring 20 points or more, hitting the double-digit mark in scoring in 17 contests and scored a career-high 32 points in the Tartans' win over nationally ranked NYU. 

Allen started all 25 games this season and led the UAA in scoring averaging with 21.8 points per game while ranking 13th nationally. Allen scored in double figures in 24 of the Tartans' 25 contests while recording 20 or more points on 15 occasions and 30 three times, including a career-best 40 points at Washington & Jefferson. The junior became the program's single-season leader in points scored and points per game as he currently has 544 points this season breaking the mark of 515 that was held by George Harvey (1976-77).

Holmes started all 25 games this season for the Tartans and was fourth on the team averaging 11.9 points and led the Cardinal and Gray with 8.2 rebounds per contest for the third straight season. His 8.2 rebounds per contest ranked second-best in the UAA while he led the league in defensive rebounds averaging 6.8. The senior recorded six double-doubles this season which ranked second in the UAA. Holmes registered the double-digit point mark in 19 contests while he tabbed nine double-digit rebound games, including a career-high 17 rebounds in the Tartans' win over nationally ranked Case Western Reserve University. Holmes became the 21st Tartan to score at least 1,000 career points and he now has 1,029. He also grabbed his 500th career rebound this season and has 607 total, ranking 11th in program history. Holmes became the 12th Tartan to record 1,000 points and 500 rebounds in a career.