W&L's Murtha, RC's Eacho also Honored

FOREST, Va. --- Guilford College guard Matt McCarthy and Randolph-Macon College mentor Nathan Davis secured two of the major honors as part of the 2015 ODAC Men's Basketball All-Conference awards.  McCarthy was tabbed the Kurt Axe Memorial Player of the Year, while Davis earned Bob Johnson Coach of the Year laurels.  Washington and Lee University forward Clayton Murtha received ODAC Rookie of the Year honors, and Roanoke College center Daniel Eacho was named the ODAC/Virginia Farm Bureau Insurance Scholar-Athlete.

McCarthy, a senior from Rockville, Md., helped lead the Quakers to their second straight third seed in the upcoming ODAC Men's Basketball Tournament.  A threat to drill jumpers from anywhere on the court, McCarthy currently leads the ODAC in three-pointers made, burying 88 bombs on the way to averaging 16.6 points per game, fifth-best in the conference.  He scored 20 or more points eight times, including an ODAC season-best 44 tallies in which he hit 16 field goals (including seven three-pointers) in a win at Emory & Henry.  He connected on four or more three-pointers in a game 13 times.  McCarthy is also third in the league in steals (47), fifth in free throw shooting (80.5% -- 66-of-82), seventh in assists-to-turnover ratio (2.3) and 11th in assists (72).

Davis, in his sixth year guiding his alma mater, earns his second straight top coaching award after leading the Yellow Jackets to a perfect 16-0 conference record, marking only the third time in league history such a feat has been accomplished (H-SC in 1979 and 2000).  Davis currently owns a 136-38 (.782) career-record, including a 77-19 (.802) mark in ODAC regular season games.  His Yellow Jackets are not only the top seed in the upcoming ODAC tournament, but also #1 in the country in the latest D3hoops.com Top-25 poll.

Murtha, a freshman from Dallas, Texas, has not only led all ODAC first year players in scoring, but currently sits second in the conference at 17.5 points per game.  He's also #1 in free throws made (168-of-213), third in field goal shooting (53.9% -- 144-of-267) and eighth in free throw percentage (78.9%).  He has scored in double figures in 22-of-26 games played, twice notching 31 points against conference competition.  He enters the tournament averaging 24.4 points per game over his last nine outings.  He's recorded three double-doubles on the season, including a 31-point 12-board performance in the regular season finale against Randolph College.

Eacho, a senior from North Chesterfield, Va., adds this honor to an All-ODAC Third Team selection.  In the classroom, the perennial Roanoke Dean's List honoree owns a 3.56 grade point average as a Political Science and History major.  A member of several honor societies, including Phi Beta Kappa, Alpha Lambda Delta, Pi Sigma Alpha and Phi Alpha Theta, Eacho serves as an on-campus tutor as well as member of the Catholic Campus Ministry.  He is also an intern at Woods Rogers Law Firm in Roanoke.  On the court, Eacho finished the season averaging 14.7 points and 6.6 rebounds per game, both top-10 in the ODAC.  He is third in field goals made (144) and collected six double-doubles.  Twice he eclipsed the 30-point plateau, including a season-best 37 points to go with 10 boards against Lynchburg College in late-January.

Listed below is the completed list of 2015 All-ODAC Men's Basketball Teams.  For more information, visit the websites of any of the participating schools, or go to the ODAC's home on the Internet at www.odaconline.com.  Don't forget to become a fan of the ODAC on Facebook and follow us on Twitter at @odacathletics.