(Charlotte, NC.) -- Waubonsee Community College's Josh McAuley was named to the NJCAA Division II Men's Basketball All-American First Team. The Chiefs' 6'8" center averaged 26.4 points, 11.7 rebounds, three assists and nearly two blocks per game this past season. The sophomore from Aurora West High School was selected last month as the Illinois Skyway Collegiate Conference (ISCC) and Region IV Division II District 4 Player of the Year. McAuley was also tabbed the NJCAA Division II Men's Basketball National Player of the Week for the second week of November when scored 77 points and hauled down 40 rebounds over three games.
Despite missing nearly a third of Waubonsee's 31 games due to a pair of injuries that sidelined him in December and in late February, McAuley still finished in the top-50 among all NJCAA Division II players in 11 different statistical categories. He ranked first in field goals made per game (9.9), third in points per game, fourth in free throws made per contest (5.8), seventh in defensive rebounds per game (7.6), and eighth in total rebounds per game. McAuley also finished 12th in offensive rebounds per game (4.0), 14th in blocks per game (1.9), 30th in free throws made (115), 35th in total points scored (528), 42nd in total blocked shots (39), and 50th in total rebounds (233).
Often drawing two and sometimes three defenders whenever he touched the ball, McAuley still shot 57.2 percent from the field (199 of 348), made 79.3 percent from the foul line (115 of 145), and even connected on 45.5 percent from three-point range (15 of 33) during the season. McAuley reached double figures in points in all 20 games he appeared in, booking 20 or more in 17 games and 30 or more points in five contests. He had a season high of 42 points in the Chiefs' first game of the year on Nov. 3 against Northwestern University's Club team. McAuley also tallied 41 points on Feb. 1 in an ISCC win over the College of Lake County. He reached double digits in rebounds 14 times, grabbing a season-high of 20 boards on two different occasions, while posting 14 double-doubles in points and rebounds on the season. In addition, the big man was also adept at distributing the ball as he registered 61 assists, including a season-high of nine assists in a win at Prairie State on Jan. 15. McAuley also had a season-high five blocked shots, to go along with 37 points, against Kishwaukee on Dec. 18 in a game in which he nailed a 50-foot shot from beyond half court at the buzzer to send the contest into overtime.
Waubonsee's men's squad finished the season 18-13 overall, and tied for third in the ISCC standings with a 9-5 record. The third-seeded Chiefs were ousted from the 2019 Region IV Division II District 4 Tournament in the semi-finals by second-seeded Bryant & Stratton College from Wisconsin 80-73 on March 3. Despite being saddled with foul trouble throughout that game, McAuley still managed to score 22 points, snag three rebounds, make three steals, hand out two assists and block a shot in the final Chiefs' game of his career.
