UMBC: Fabulous Frosh

Fabulous Frosh

Two UMBC freshmen win conference Rookie of the Year honors in basketball

March Madness is the ultimate hoops party – and two standout UMBC freshmen are giving the Retriever Nation renewed hope that their basketball squads soon will return to the Big Dance for the first time since 2007 and 2008, when the women’s and men’s teams debuted at the NCAA Championships in back-to-back years.

Sara Tarbert, a Delta, Pa. native, and Rodney Elliott, a local product with exceptional pedigree, were named America East Conference Rookies of the Year at the end of this season. Both players also were named to the league’s Third Team – the only freshmen to earn that position amongst the conference’s elite.

Tarbert, a 5’11” forward, received a UMBC program-record five America East Rookie of the Week honors during the 2013-14 campaign and led all conference freshmen in scoring (13.8) and rebounding (7.1). She also led the league in minutes per game (36.3) and ranked eighth in both field goal (43.5) and seventh in free throw (76.3) percentage.

“There are so many good, young players in the league and I am truly honored,” Tarbert said upon receiving the award. “Honestly, it’s kind of shocking. You really don’t play for an award, you play to play, so it’s great to be recognized for it.”

Tarbert ended the season on a 13-game double-digit scoring streak and finished the year with exactly 400 points, the fourth-highest total ever for a UMBC freshman. She added 205 rebounds, sixth-highest all-time among UMBC freshmen, and recorded six games with double figures in both points and caroms.

“We are so proud of Sara and all the hard work she put into her freshman season,” head coach Phil Stern said. “It’s a great honor and something Sara should be very proud of. For me, the most impressive thing about her freshman year was how consistent she was on a nightly basis.”

Elliott became UMBC’s first men’s basketball player to earn Rookie-of-the-Year honors in 11 league seasons. earned Rookie-of-Week honors a UMBC-record five times during the 2013-14 campaign. Like Tarbert, he finished the year as the leading scorer amongst all league freshmen with 15.0 points per game, which was the fifth-best overall figure in the conference. In addition, Elliott was fourth in America East in assists (3.6), sixth in assist-to-turnover ratio (1.0), and eighth in steals (1.3).

The 6’0” point guard – the son of former Maryland Terrapin standout Rodney Elliott, Sr.— became UMBC’s second NCAA Division I player and America East’s lone competitor this season to record 400 points (451), 100 rebounds (118) and 100 assists (108) in a season. The first-year player’s 451 points scored in the most by a freshman in UMBC’s 27 years of NCAA Division I competition.

Elliott was also selected as the America East Fans’ Choice Player of the Year, UMBC’s first in the eight-year history of the award and the first Retriever freshman in any sport to earn the selection.

“I am really honored to receive this award, it’s a humbling experience,” Elliott said. “I want to thank my family, my parents and my coaching staff – who knows where I would be without their support.”

“Rodney was thrust into a major role as a first-year college player and did a tremendous job,” said head coach Aki Thomas. “His consistency off of the court really helped him be consistent on the court. Rodney is a hard worker in the classroom, a good citizen, and a good teammate. These are all mature qualities that you normally see in veteran players.”

The last time that one conference institution could brag about two first-year honorees was in 2004-05, when Northeastern’s Shawn James and Shaylese Smallwood earned the distinctions. It has only happened four times in the four decades of America East basketball competition.

Tarbert and Elliott will have help leading the Retrievers back to national prominence. On the women’s side, another freshman, Taylor McCarley, also earned America East All-Rookie team honors and a third classmate, Emily Russo, recovered from knee surgery to record an outstanding initial campaign. For Coach Thomas’ squad, freshmen Will Darley, David Kadiri and Charles Taylor, Jr. all played substantial minutes in 2013-14 and, with Elliott, form the nucleus of a team with limitless potential.

“Rodney has definitely served as a catalyst in the maturation process of our basketball program,” said Thomas. “He is a true student of the game of basketball, and I look forward to watching him grow as a player.”

(03/31/2014)