Aug. 17, 2015
CENTER VALLEY, Pa. - Lafayette men's basketball standouts Stefan Ciosici '00 and Brian Ehlers '00 were selected to the Patriot League Men's Basketball 25th Anniversary Team, the League announced on Monday morning. The pair was instrumental in Lafayette's consecutive Patriot League championships in the 1998-99 and 1999-00 seasons.
Ciosici, inducted into the Lafayette Maroon Club Hall of Fame in 2011-12, was the 1998 Patriot League Player of the Year. Additionally, the 6-11 center was the Patriot League Tournament Most Valuable Player in 2000 and the League's Rookie of the Year in 1996.
Ciosici ranks sixth in Lafayette history with 1,496 career points and is the fourth-most prolific rebounder in Patriot League history with 831 boards. He is also among Lafayette's all-time leaders in blocked shots, free throws and field-goal percentage. Following graduation, the Timisoara, Romania native was the 29th overall selection in the United States Basketball League (USBL) draft and appeared with the NBA's Indiana Pacers in the Shaw's Summer Pro League.
Ehlers, a Maroon Club Hall of Fame inductee in 2010-11, was a two-time Patriot League Player of the Year and was an All-League selection each of his four years on College Hill. He currently sits as the third all-time leading scorer in Leopard history with 1,836 points to his name, a mark that also places him sixth all-time in Patriot League history.
An integral part of three Patriot League championship teams, two of which earned automatic NCAA Tournament berths, the Bay Shore, N.Y. native earned Patriot League Tournament MVP honors in the 1998-99 campaign.
Upon graduation, Ehlers spent time with the USBL's Long Island Surf before playing with the Newcastle Eagles of the British Basketball League where he led the league in three-point field-goal percentage and free-throw percentage. He also averaged 20 points per game while playing for the Budapest MAFC of the Hungarian A League.
The Patriot League is releasing 25th Anniversary Teams throughout the month of August for each sport that has been sponsored by the League since it became an all-sport conference beginning in the 1990-91 season. In addition to the 25th Anniversary Teams, coverage throughout the 2015-16 season will focus on former student-athletes and top stories in the history of the Patriot League.
