The MEAC released the All-Conference teams for the men’s and women’s basketball teams. Both the men’s and women’s team had three Aggies honored, including one being Defensive Player of the Year.

Senior Austin Witter turned the Aggies into one of the best defensive teams in the country. He was rewarded for his efforts on Sunday as he was voted the MEAC Defensive Player of the Year by MEAC head coaches and sports information directors. Witter was also named third-team All-MEAC along with fellow senior forward Adrian Powell, freshman center Bruce Beckford made the All-Rookie team.

Witter’s defense won him three MEAC Defensive Player of the Week honors during the 2012-13 season. Witter began taking pride in his blocked shots, and the chase for Thomas Coleman’s school record. Coleman, the Aggies all-time leading shot blocker, blocked a then single-season school record 85 shots as a sophomore in 2008-09. Witter not only broke Coleman’s record, he is closing in on 100 blocks as he enters this week’s MEAC tournament with 93.

Witter also led the MEAC and his team in rebounds with 7.2 per game and blocks, averaging 3.0 for the season. The senior recorded 10 or more rebounds six times to help the Aggies to a 15-16 overall record and an 8-8 mark in MEAC play. A three-time MEAC Defensive Player of the Week honoree, Witter totaled 27 steals during this year’s campaign.

Powell is tied for the team-lead in scoring at 12.2 points per game. He had a career-high 29 points against N.C. Central on Dec. 1. Beckford won MEAC Rookie of the Week twice. He started 24 games and averaged 7.8 points and 4.5 rebounds, while shooting .523.

Eboni Ross, a redshirt freshman, of the Aggies women’s basketball team was named MEAC Rookie of the Year. Senior guard/forward JaQuayla Berry earned first-team All-MEAC honors and redshirt junior guard Amber Calvin earned third-team All-MEAC recognition. Ross, Berry and Calvin helped the Aggies to a 21-8 overall record and a second-place finish in the MEAC with a 13-3 mark.

Ross led the MEAC with a .512 field goal percentage, and was second in the conference with 1.7 blocks per game. She is the seventh player in program history to record 50 blocks in a single-season. Ross earned six MEAC Rookie of the Week awards this season; she recorded two double-doubles and posted double-figures in the last seven games of the regular season.

Berry ranks sixth on the all-time career scoring list with 1,402 points. She is also seventh on the all-time career rebounding list (649) and eighth on the all-time steals list (245). Berry averages 12.4 points and 6.2 rebounds and is tied with Calvin for the team lead in steals with 53. She has scored in double-figures 22 times this season, and has led the team in scoring 12 times and in rebounding 13 times.

Calvin earned her second conference honor of her career; she was on the All-Rookie team in 2009-10. She ranks fourth on the all-time assists list with 276, and is fourth on the 3-point list with 160. She led the MEAC in free throw percentage (.881) and in 3-point field goal percentage (.417) this season. Calvin averages 9.9 points and 2.3 assists. She has recorded double-figures 12 times this season, and has led the team in steals and in assists 11 times.

• Paul Smith, Contributor