Ford Named NABC Second Team All-District
3/27/2024 1:13:00 PM | Men's Basketball
Robert Ford III adds another impressive accolade to one of the greatest individual seasons in program history
KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- After a record-breaking senior season, Robert Ford III was named to the NABC District 6 Second Team, the National Association of Basketball Coaches announced.
The All-District Honors are voted on by NABC-member coaches across NCAA Division I.
Ford, a redshirt senior from Portland, Oregon, put together one of the best seasons in Montana State men's basketball history, leading the Bobcats to their third straight Big Sky Tournament championship and third straight appearance in the NCAA Tournament.
The point guard was named Big Sky Defensive Player of the Year, All-Big Sky First Team, Big Sky All-Defensive Team, and Big Sky Tournament MVP.
Ford finished second in the country in steals (100), breaking the program record for steals in a single season. He also became the first player in NCAA Division I since 2000 to record 250 rebounds and 100 steals in a season, and just the fifth player to do it since 1979 (Clyde Drexler, Ron Harper, James Posey, and Eric Coley.) Among those names, the 6-foot guard is also the only player under 6-foot-5 to accomplish the feat.
Among players shorter than 6-foot-4 this season, Ford finished second in the country in rebounding (7.6 rebounds per game), and was 36th in NCAA Division I among players of all heights in defensive rebounds per game (6.6).
The team captain averaged 16.2 points per game, finishing with 567 points on the season, the 13th most in program history.
Ford finished first in the Big Sky in steals, third in rebounding, third in minutes (1,204), fifth in scoring, seventh in field goal percentage (.487), and tenth in assists (106).
Ford was the catalyst for one of the great postseason runs in program history, spearheading an unforgettable charge with three wins in three days at the Big Sky Tournament in Boise, averaging 22.7 points, 7.0 rebounds, 3.6 assists, and 3.3 steals during the tournament, shooting 59.0% from the field and 47.1% from beyond the arc on the way to Big Sky Tournament MVP honors.
Ford ended his Bobcat career at the NCAA Tournament First Four in an overtime loss to Grambling State, scoring 26 points with six rebounds and four assists. The 26 points are tied for the second-most in an NCAA Tournament game in program history.
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