Stanley earns NABC All-Region honor

After concluding his senior season as a Great South Athletic Conference champion and the conference player of the year, scoring guard Milton Stanley was named to the all-region squad by the National Association of Basketball Coaches.

The NABC is an association of members who work together to keep the best interest of the game in mind and the players and coaches involved.

One of group’s goals is to promote integrity and sportsmanship among the players and coaches who compete in  men’s basketball.

Stanley finished this season averaging at least 17 points per game and had 459 points in total.

In his career, Stanley scored over 800 points and earned over 300 rebounds. “Milt” also dished out over 150 assists in his time  at Maryville College.

“I wish I would have gotten to play more as a freshman and sophomore, but I feel like the time that I did get to play, I made the best of it,” Stanley said, reflecting on his MC career.

MC head basketball coach Randy Lambert said that Stanley’s strengths are “attacking the basket and penetrating to the hoop, as well as pulling up for the jump shot.”

“He is not your stereotypical shooting guard,” Lambert continued.

He also went on to say that Stanley was very coachable, which helped shape him into the player that the coaching staff wanted him to be.

“When it comes to one-on-ones, Milt would be one of the greater players that we have had here at Maryville in quite some time,” Lambert said. “I am very happy for him and his honors. All of the recognition that he has received is deserved. He evolved into everything that we expected him to as a player in his four years here.”

Stanley also evolved into a team leader, a process not hindered by his reserved personality.

“By nature, [Stanley] is a quiet guy, so he led by example,” Lambert said. “However, when he spoke, players listened to him.”

For the most part, though, Stanley let his game do the talking.

“He is a competitor by nature,” Lambert said. “It was very obvious how important he was; in a close game, we wanted the ball in his hands.”

One of Stanley’s goals was exactly that.

“I wanted to be that elite player on the team, the one that everyone depended on when it came to making major game decisions,” Stanley said.

Some of his other goals were to make the all-conference team again, as well as win the player of the year title, both of which he accomplished.

Lambert was not the only source of support throughout Stanley’s career.

“My family told me they were really proud of my accomplishments,” he said.

On getting the All-Region honor, Stanley was characteristically understated and humble.

“I was happy and excited,” he said. “It was definitely unexpected.”

But it definitely was not unearned.

“I think all of the extra practice time in the gym when I worked on the game definitely paid off, and I am glad it did.”