Daemen College men’s basketball star Andrew Sischo has been named an NCAA Division II Preseason All-American by Basketball Times, a monthly print publication that has covered college basketball since 1980. The publication’s announcement of Preseason All-Americans was made in its November issue, which is available via print or digital subscription.
Sischo, a 6-foot-9 center, will enter his redshirt senior season having established himself as one of the nation’s premier Division II players over the last three seasons. The two-time East Coast Conference and NCAA Division II East Region Player of the Year has averaged 20.4 points and 10.2 rebounds in 89 games played for the Wildcats, leading them to a 70-22 record and a pair of NCAA tournament berths. Already Daemen’s all-time leader in made field goals (722), Sischo has tallied 1,820 points and 906 rebounds in his career, ranking fourth all-time in each category. He stands just 143 points shy of Rob Robinson and 197 rebounds shy of Alex Nwora to become the program’s all-time leader in each.
Sischo garnered All-American honors from both the National Association of Basketball Coaches and Division II Conference Commissioner’s Association last winter when he averaged 24.9 points and 11.7 rebounds per game while shooting 64.5% from the field. He’s the only Division II player since the 2010-11 season to average at least 24 points and 11 rebounds while shooting better than 60 percent from the field, and did so while leading all of Division II in total rebounds (362) and double-doubles (22). He also set Daemen and East Coast Conference single-season records for total points (773) and made field goals (298).
“Andrew has consistently demonstrated that he deserves to be talked about in the same breath as the best of the best in college basketball,” said Daemen head coach Mike MacDonald. “His 2019-20 season will go down as one of the greatest individual years in the history of our program and our conference, despite our NCAA tournament games being canceled. As our only returning starter, Andrew will face a new set of challenges during the upcoming season, not to mention the unprecedented nature of things brought on by COVID-19.”
Daemen’s 2020-21 season has been delayed until January due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Earlier this month, the East Coast Conference announced the framework for an 18-game, double round-robin schedule beginning January 9. More details are expected to be announced in the coming weeks.