MOUNT VERNON – Cornell's dynamic senior duo of Cooper Kabela and Jordan Magnani landed on the 2021-22 All-Midwest Conference Men's Basketball First Team, it was announced Thursday by the league office.
 
The Rams are the only school to place two players on the six-man first unit, which includes Lake Forest's Sean Espinosa, Lawrence's Brad Sendell, Grinnell's Patrick Simms and Ripon's Ryan Steffes.
 
Kabela, a 6-foot-5 forward, gained first team accolades for the second time in his career. Magnani, a 6-foot-1 guard, is a first-time all-conference honoree. The last time Cornell fielded two first team all-MWC selections was the 1992-93 season (Abe Tubbs, Chad Reed). 
 
Kabela has made the most of his fifth season with the Rams, becoming the program's career leader in points (1,580), made field goals (568) and games played (110). The four-year starter ranked fifth among MWC scorers in the regular season at 16.2 points per game, while averaging 4.7 rebounds and 2.4 assists.
 
Kabela shot 46.3 percent from the field and sank 42 3-point goals. The left-hander was 74.5 percent from the foul line. Kabela posted 10 20-point games this season, highlighted by a season-high 31 against Grinnell on the Feb. 17 home night he broke Cornell's all-time scoring record.
 
Kabela stands in Cornell's career Top 10 in seven major statistical categories. He's the first Ram named first-team all-conference twice in a career since Griffin LaDew (2008 and 2009, Iowa Conference). 
 
Magnani has been the floor general for the Rams, averaging 16.0 points, 4.6 rebounds and leading the team with 3.8 assists and 1.0 steals per contest. The fourth-year starter made 99 free throws, converting at an 81.1 percent clip, and also hit 34 3-pointers.
 
In 16 MWC games, Magnani ranked third in field goal percentage (55.2), free throw percentage (82.9) and assist-turnover ratio (+1.8 pg). He finished fourth in scoring (17.1 ppg) and assists (4.0 apg) in MWC play.
 
Magnani has scored in double figures in 20 of his last 22 games. He netted a season-high 25 points in a pivotal road win at Lawrence Feb. 13. Magnani has climbed to No. 13 on Cornell's all-time points list with 1,149. He ranks in the Top 10 in assists, free throws made, free throw percentage and 3-pointers made.
 
Kabela and Magnani steered the Rams (17-8 overall, 12-4 MWC) to a runner-up finish in the MWC regular season. The 17 overall wins are the second-most by a Cornell team since the 1960-61 season.
 
Cornell is the No. 2 seed in the MWC Tournament and plays Grinnell in Friday's semifinal at 1:30 p.m. in Ripon, Wis.