Three Onondaga Community College men’s basketball players selected for Region III Senior All-Star Game

Buckmon, Siechen, Smith to represent MSAC.

SYRACUSE, NY. – April 6, 2007 – Three members of the Onondaga Community College’s Mid-State Athletic Conference champion men’s basketball team have been selected to compete in the National Junior College Athletic Association Region III Division III Senior All-Star Game. Rich Buckmon (Syracuse Henninger), Steve Siechen (East Syracuse-Minoa), and Danny smith (Canastota) will all participate. The game, which will pit the top second year players from the Mid-State Athletic Conference and the Northern Independence Conference against top second year players from the Mountain Valley Athletic Conference, will be played next Thursday, April 12, at 6:30 pm. Herkimer County Community College will host the event for the 3rd consecutive year.

Buckmon was Onondaga’s leading scorer on the season. He averaged 16.0 points per game while shooting a team best 52.4% from the floor. A transfer from Cayuga Community College, he also was 2nd on the team in rebounding, pulling down an average of 6.6 rebounds per game. He led the Lazers in scoring 8 times and had a career best 34 points in a win over his former school, Cayuga, on February 10. Buckmon was a 1st team MSAC All-Conference selection and was named to the Region III All-Region 2nd Team. He was named the MSAC Player of the Week for the week ending February 12. He was also named to the All-Tournament Team in the Mohawk Valley Community College Torchia Classic.

Siechen served as one of the Lazers’ co-captains this season. He averaged 14.2 points, 5.5 rebounds, and 2.3 assists per contest. He was Onondaga’s leading scorer 10 times, and hit the 30 point mark twice, against Division II Jamestown-Cattaraugus Community College, and against Corning Community College. Siechen was a 1st Team All-Conference selection and a 2nd Team All-Region pick, and was named the Most Valuable Player of the MSAC Championship Tournament. He was also named NJCAA National Player of the Week and Region III Male Athlete of the Week for the week ending February 25.

Smith was Onondaga’s 2nd leading scorer at 15.5 points per contest. He averaged 5.6 rebounds per game, and handed out 5.5 assists per contest, good for 25th in the country. Smith also shot 51.8% from the floor and 70.1% from the foul line. He led the Lazers in scoring 8 times, highlighted by a 28 point outburst against Cayuga. He also handed out 11 assists on 2 separate occasions. Smith was a 1st Team All-Conference selection and a 3rd Team All-Region pick. He was named Region III Male Athlete of the Week for the week ending January 21, and was named to the All-Tournament Team at the Columbia-Greene Community College Twins Classic.

Onondaga completed the 2006-07 season with an overall record of 23-8 and captured the MSAC championship for the first time since 1992.