BOYS BASKETBALL ALL-STARS: Lackawanna League Division 2

Pictured above: North Pocono’s A.J. Nemitz (5). (Tim Drewes Photo)

A.J. Nemitz and Pat Shields helped North Pocono to a Lackawanna League Division 2 boys basketball title and were rewarded for their roles with selections for the top honors in conjunction with the NEPASportsNation.com division all-star team.

When the team was released Wednesday night, Nemitz was named Player of the Year and Shields was selected as Coach of the Year.

Nemitz was the division’s most accurate shooter and second-leading scorer. The only player in Division 2 to make more than two 3-pointers per game, he shot 38 percent from long range while hitting 57 times overall from beyond the arc.

The senior went 75-for-82 (92 percent) from the foul line. He also hit 43 percent on his two-point attempts while averaging 15.0 points, 3.5 rebounds, 2.2 assists and 2.0 steals.

Nemitz was a first-team, all-star choice last season by NEPABasketball.com before that website was merged into NEPASportsNation.com to combine coverage of all District 2 sports on one site.

Shields was recognized for leading the Trojans to this season’s title after losing two of its three players from that all-star team to graduation. North Pocono went 9-4 in the Lackawanna League to finish three games ahead of the pack in the division race.

Karter Kromko and Nathan Hugaboom from second-place Honesdale lead the first-team selections.

Kromko was a second-teamer two years ago before making the first team last season. Hugaboom moves up from second team to first team.

All the other selections are first-time all-stars.

North Pocono’s Chris Walsh, Wallenpaupack’s Justin Blanding and Delaware Valley’s Jake Brower round out the first team.

The full all-star team list:

LACKAWANNA LEAGUE DIVISION 2

Coach of the Year

Pat Shields, North Pocono

Player of the Year

A.J. Nemitz, North Pocono senior

First Team

Justin Blanding, Wallenpaupack sophomore