HIGHLAND HEIGHTS, Ky. – Tyler Sharpe, Dantez Walton and Jalen Tate collected postseason All-Horizon League honors, announced by the league office on Monday afternoon. Sharpe earned a spot on the second team, while Walton and Tate were both placed on the third team. Tate added Horizon League Defensive Player of the Year distinction, which comes with a spot on the all-defensive team.
 
Sharpe collected the first all-league accolade of his career after averaging 14.9 points per game this year, while also contributing 2.7 rebounds, 2.2 assists and 1.7 steals per contest. The senior sharpshooter registered five 30-point performances on the year, including three-straight during Horizon League play. The native of Mt. Washington, Kentucky, also surpassed 1,000 points and now ranks No. 23 all-time at NKU with 1,160 points.
 
Walton also picked up his first all-league honor after leading the Norse in scoring (16.3 ppg) and rebounding (7.0 rpg). He was even more impressive against Division I only competition, pouring in 17.2 ppg. The Lima, Ohio, native posted three 30-point games this year, including two 30-point double-doubles. Walton has 979 career points and ranks 31^st all-time at NKU in scoring.
 
Tate joins Walton on the all-league third team, while adding defensive player of the year honors and a third-straight nod to the all-defensive team. The native of Pickerington, Ohio, does a little bit of everything for the Norse and at a high rate. He averages 13.4 points, 5.4 rebounds, 3.6 assists and 1.9 steals, the latter of which helps set the tone for the Horizon League's best defensive team. Tate has played at another level in the last six games, pouring in 20.2 ppg while shooting 55 percent from the field.
 
Under the guidance of Sharpe, Walton and Tate, Northern Kentucky finished in second place in the Horizon League standings with a 13-5 league mark. NKU also wrapped up the regular season with a 21-9 record. This is the fourth-straight 20-win season for the Norse, marking just the second time in program history where four-consecutive 20-win campaigns were recorded on the team's ledger.
 
As the No. 2 seed in the Horizon League Championship, NKU earned a double-bye to the semifinals and plays the highest-remaining seed that advances to the semis on Monday, March 9 at 9:30 p.m. The game will air on ESPN2 and can be heard on ESPN1530.
 
2019-20 Horizon League Men's Basketball Award Winners
Player of the Year: Loudon Love, Wright State
Coach of the Year: Dennis Gates, Cleveland State & Scott Nagy, Wright State
Freshman of the Year: Amari Davis, Green Bay
Defensive Player of the Year: Jalen Tate, Northern Kentucky 
Sixth Player of the Year: Devin Morgan, Youngstown State
 
All-League First Team (alphabetical by school)
Antoine Davis, Detroit Mercy
JayQuan McCloud, Green Bay
Xavier Hill-Mais, Oakland
Loudon Love, Wright State
Darius Quisenberry, Youngstown State
 
All-League Second Team (alphabetical by school)
Marcus Burk, IUPUI
Te'Jon Lucas, Milwaukee
Tyler Sharpe, Northern Kentucky
Tarkus Ferguson, UIC
Bill Wampler, Wright State
 
All-League Third Team (alphabetical by school)
Amari Davis, Green Bay
Jalen Tate, Northern Kentucky
Dantez Walton, Northern Kentucky
Cole Gentry, Wright State
Algevon Eichelberger, Cleveland State
 
All-Freshman Team (alphabetical by school)
Amari Davis, Green Bay
C.J. Wilbourn, Milwaukee
Blake Lampman, Oakland
Grant Basile, Wright State
Tanner Holden, Wright State
 
All-Defensive Team (alphabetical by school)
Chris Brandon, Detroit Mercy
Elyjah Goss, IUPUI
Jalen Tate, Northern Kentucky
Marcus Ottey, UIC
Garrett Covington, Youngstown State