Contact: Greg Murphy

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INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. - Cleveland State freshman Bryn Forbes (Lansing, Mich), the top scoring freshman in the Horizon League this season, has been named the Horizon League Newcomer of the Year and also led the five-member all-newcomer team.

Forbes is just the second player in CSU history to earn Horizon League Newcomer of the Year honors, joining Damon Stringer who earned the honor in 2000.

Forbes enters tomorrow's first round league tournament game at UIC tied for 11th in the league in scoring at 12.6 points per game, having scored in double figured in 22 of his last 25 games. He is also seventh in the league in three-point percentage (.396), eighth in three-pointers (2.0) and ninth in free throw percentage (.810).

A reserve for the first half of the season, Forbes was inserted into the starting lineup against UIC on Jan. 7 and never looked back. He increased his scoring average to 14.9 points during the league season to rank seventh, while also ranking second in league only games in free throw shooting (.905) and three-pointers (2.0) and seventh in three-point percentage (.424).

A two-time Horizon League Newcomer of the Week (Dec. 3 and Jan. 14), Forbes tallied four 20-point scoring games this season, including a career-high 24 points against league champion Valparaiso on Feb. 9. He equaled that career-high in a win over Milwaukee on Feb. 17.

The first 20-point game of Forbes' career came against league runner-up Detroit when Forbes tied a CSU freshman single-game record with five three-pointers en route to 21 points on Jan. 12. 

He has scored in double figures in 22 of the last 25 games.

Forbes was joined on the all-newcomer team by Jordan Fouse of Green Bay, Milwaukee's Jordan Aaron, Kamren Belin of Youngstown State and Josh Crittle of UIC.

The Vikings open play in the Horizon League Championship with a first round game at UIC on Tuesday (March 5) at 8:00 p.m. EST. The winner advances to the second round and will play the winner of a first round game between fourth-seeded Green Bay and ninth-seeded Milwaukee. The second round contest will take place on Friday (March 8) at 8:30 p.m. EST in Valparaiso.

Player of the Year
Ray McCallum, Detroit

Newcomer of the Year
Bryn Forbes, Cleveland State

Defensive player of the Year
Damian Eargle, Youngstown State

Sixth Man of the Year
LaVonte Dority, Valparaiso

Coach of the Year
Billy Donlon, Wright State

All-League Teams
First Team
Ray McCallum, Jr., G............................. Detroit
Ryan Broekhoff, Sr., F.................... Valparaiso
Nick Minnerath, Sr., F............................ Detroit
Kendrick Perry, Jr., G........ Youngstown State
Keifer Sykes, So., G........................ Green Bay

Second Team
Alec Brown, Jr., C............................ Green Bay
Kevin Van Wijk, Sr., F..................... Valparaiso
Ben Averkamp, Sr., F............................ Loyola
Gary Talton, Sr., G....................................... UIC
Cole Darling, Jr., F....................... Wright State

All-Newcomer Team
Bryn Forbes, Fr., G................ Cleveland State
Jordan Fouse, Fr., F........................ Green Bay
Jordan Aaron, Jr., G....................... Milwaukee
Kamren Belin, Jr., F........... Youngstown State
Josh Crittle, Sr., C........................................ UIC

All-Defensive Team
Damian Eargle, Sr., C....... Youngstown State
Erik Buggs, Sr. G............................. Valparaiso
Kendrick Perry, Jr. G......... Youngstown State
Alec Brown, Jr., C............................ Green Bay
Jordan Fouse, Fr., F........................ Green Bay