KANSAS CITY, Mo. - The NABC (National Association of Basketball Coaches) released its 2023-24 NABC Division I All-District Teams and District Coaches of the Year. The All-District honors are voted on by NABC-member coaches across NCAA Division I.

Coach Josh Schertz was named District 16 Coach of the Year and two Sycamore players - Robbie Avila and Isaiah Swope - were named to the First Team.

Coach Schertz led Indiana State to one of the best seasons since the legendary 1978-79 team. ISU earned a No. 1 seed in the National Invitational Tournament with its 28-6 overall record through the MVC Tournament. It's the Sycamores' third appearance in the NIT since that '78-'79 season (2013, 2014). Coach Schertz was named the MVC Coach of the year in just his third season in the league. ISU finished 26-5, 17-3 MVC in the regular season. The 28 wins so far are the second-most in program history, and the 17 league wins is a new program record. For the first time since the '78-'79 season, the Sycamores found themselves among the top 25 in the nation, ranking No. 23 in the AP Top 25 and No. 24 in the USA TODAY Sports Coaches poll. Indiana State also led the Collegeinsider.com mid-major poll for three weeks.

Coach Schertz guided the Sycamores to lead the MVC in four categories in back-to-back seasons: scoring offense (84.4 PPG in 2023-24), field goal percentage (50.5%), assists (594), and three-pointers made (373). ISU won the MVC regular season title for the first time since the 2000-2001 season and finished as the MVC Tournament runner-up.

Robbie Avila in his sophomore season was named to the All-MVC First Team and the MVC All-Tournament team in St. Louis. Avila averaged 17.5 points per game throughout the full season, adding on 6.6 rebounds per game and 3.8 assists per game. The 6-10 center finishing 54.9% from the floor, 40.5% from deep, and 82.% from the free throw line. Avila used an impressive three-game stretch to close out the regular season to lead ISU to the regular season title:
 

• UIC: 22 points, four rebounds, three assists, 60% from the field, 9-9 FT/FTA
• Evansville: career-high 35 points, eight rebounds, five assists, 58.3% from the field
• Murray State: 23 points, three rebounds, four assists, 80% from the field (8-for-10), 7-7 FT/FTA

Junior Isaiah Swope was named to the All-MVC Second Team in his first year in the league. The guard averaged 16.5 points per game, 2.9 rebounds per game, and 2.2 assists per game in the full season. Swope has been in the top 15 nationally in total three-pointers made and three-pointers per game throughout the season. Swope finished the season shooting 43.8% from the floor, 37.5% from deep, and 73.7% from the charity stripe. This season, Swope has made 105 total triples. He recorded one-of-two 30-point games for Indiana State with his career high 30 points at UIC, which drove the Sycamores to the six-point victory. Earlier in the season, Swope made eight three-pointers against Belmont, one off tying the ISU single-game record.

Indiana State kicks off the National Invitational Tournament tomorrow against SMU inside Hulman Center at 7 p.m.

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