Mars Hill’s Baxley Named to Men’s Basketball All-America First Team
EDINBORO, PA - Delta State University forward Jasper Johnson has been named the 2006 Daktronics NCAA Division II Men's Basketball Player of the Year. Johnson showcases the 2006 all-senior first team. Voting was conducted among Division II sports information directors.
Walt Baxley of Mars Hill College was a first team selection.
Three players were repeat selections, with Tayron Thomas of Philadelphia University moving up from the second team to the first unit, and the University of South Dakota's Turner Trofholz making the first team after earning a spot on the third team last season. Stacey Moragne of the University of Massachusetts-Lowell was named to the second team for the second straight year.
The rest of the first team was comprised of Baxley and Western Washington University's Grant Dyskstra. All but two of the 15 players to earn Daktronics All-American honors were seniors. In addition, nine of the players will be taking part in the inaugural NCAA Division II/National Association of Basketball Coaches (NABC) Men's All-Star Game. Two others will be in Springfield, Massachusetts taking part in the Elite Eight.
Jasper Johnson spent three seasons at Southern Mississippi before completing his career at Delta State this season. The 6'7", 256 lb. senior proved a load for the Gulf South Conference to handle, averaging 20.6 ppg. and 8.2 rpg. In addition, he shot 55.5 percent from the floor (251 of 452), made 53 of 121 three-pointers, and shot 86.8 percent from the line (105 of 121). He also accumulated 81 assists and 76 steals. Johnson led Delta State in scoring 18 times, and was the leading rebounder on 19 occasions.
Johnson was recognized as the Gulf South Conference West Player of the Year after finishing third in scoring, sixth in rebounding, and second in both steals and free throw percentage. He helped the Statesmen to a 30-2 record, advancing to the South Regional semifinals before losing to Arkansas-Monticello. He was also named the Most Outstanding Player of the 2006 GSC Tournament.
Walt Baxley of Mars Hill is a 6'3" senior who is second in Division II in scoring at 28.1 ppg., a school record. He shot 42.9 percent from the floor (228 of 531), making a school-record 78 three-pointers in 211 attempts, and was 226 of 270 from the line (83.7 pct.). In addition, Baxley averaged 4.3 rpg. and 46 steals. Despite the Lions finishing with a 9-18 record, Baxley was named the South Atlantic Conference Player of the Year.
While playing three seasons at Mars Hill, Baxley accumulated 1,655 points, the seventh-highest total in school history and the fifth in South Atlantic Conference annals. A two-time All-SAC selection, he set the conference single-game scoring record with 42 points twice this season.
Western Washington senior Grant Dykstra is a 6'4" swingman who averaged 20.6 ppg. and 5.4 rpg. while leading the Vikings to a 23-7 record. Western Washington lost in the championship game of
the Western Regional. Dykstra shot 50.6 percent from the floor (212 of 419), making a school-record 101 three-pointers in 231 attempts, and was 93 of 110 from the line (84.5 pct.). He added 104 assists and 60 steals.
A two-time first team All-Great Northwest Athletic Conference selection, Dykstra is the all-time leading scorer at Western Washington with 1,844 points, while ranking fourth in assists (404), sixth in rebounds (576), and seventh in steals (210).
Dykstra was the 2005 recipient of the U.S. Basketball Writers Association Most Courageous Award, and is currently a finalist for the third straight year for the V Foundation Comeback Award. His right arm was mangled in a grain auger at the age of two. Thirteen surgeries over the next ten years left his arm five inches shorter than the left, and he taught himself to shoot left-handed.
Philadelphia senior Tayron Thomas completed an illustrious career as the all-time leading scorer for the Rams, a school which has featured many standouts through the years under legendary head coach Herb Magee. The 6'2" guard was a second team selection a year ago.
Thomas is the leading scorer in Division II at 29.0 ppg., setting a school record this season with 898 points. That gave him 2,414 points for his career. He also fell one point shy of setting the single-game scoring record, depositing 53 points against Presbyterian. He made 298 of 600 field goals (49.7 pct.), including 42 of 111 three-pointers, and was an incredible 260 of 314 from the line, adding 7.8 rpg., 117 assists and 55 steals. Thomas led Philadelphia to a 20-11 record while being named the Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference Player of the Year after being named the 2005 New York Collegiate Athletic Conference Player of the Year.
South Dakota senior Turner Trofholz rounds out the first team. A 6'8", 235 lb. forward, he led the Coyotes to a 20-10 record, as the made their third straight trip to the NCAA Playoffs. The Coyotes lost to Winona State in the North Central Regional quarterfinals. A third team Daktronics choice in 2005, he was previously named a 2005 NABC All-American and 2005 North Central Conference MVP, and was the 2006 Division II Bulletin Preseason Player of the Year.
Trofholz averaged 21.7 ppg. and 9.8 rpg., ranking 15th in Division II in scoring and tenth in rebounding. He made 247 of 424 field goals, an impressive 58.3 percent, and was 148 of 216 from the charity stripe (68.5 pct.). He added 59 assists and 30 steals while leading the team in scoring 22 times and in rebounding 25 times.
Trofholz is the only player in South Dakota history to score 1,800 points and pull down 800 rebounds. He ranks third in career scoring (1,931 points), is second in career rebounds (917), in addition to setting the school record for career field goal percentage (61.9 pct.). South Dakota had an 88-35 record in his four seasons.
Stacey Moragne of UMass-Lowell made the Daktronics second team for the second straight year. The 6'4" forward led Lowell to its third appearance in the Northeast Regional championship game in the last four years. He was recognized as the Northeast-10 Co-Player of the Year, sharing the award with Dakttonics third-teamer John Williams of Bryant. UMass.-Lowell finished with a 21-10 record, and was 115-40 in his four seasons, with two Elite Eight appearances.
Moragne averaged 21.0 ppg. as a senior, adding 7.6 rpg. with 55 assists. He shot 54.9 percent from the floor (243 of 443), making 54 of 118 three-pointers, while going 110 of 143 from the line (76.9 pct.). A year ago, he was an NABC All-American and was named the ECAC Division II Player of the Year. He ranks third in career scoring with 2,041 points.
Luke Anderson of Minnesota State, a 6'6" swingman, is one of only two juniors named to the Daktronics squad. He scored in double figures in every game but the last, a loss to Winona State in the North Central Regional semifinals, as the Mavericks finished 24-7. The 24 wins tied the school record, and the Mavericks on their first North Central Conference championship since 1975-76.
Anderson averaged 20.8 ppg. and 6.0 rpg., shooting 44.0 percent from the floor and 75.4 percent from the line. He added 61 assists. Anderson was named an All-NCC selection for the third straight year, and concluded his career third in scoring with 1,698 points. In addition, he made 237 of 596 career three-pointers.
Duan Crockett has helped lead Virginia Union to the Elite Eight, as the Panthers attempt to defend their 2005 national championship. The 6'6" senior is averaging 16.9 ppg. and 6.7 rpg. for the 28-3 Panthers, the winners of the South Atlantic Regional. Virginia Union plays Southern Illinois-Edwardsville on March 22 in the quarterfinals.
Crockett was named the 2006 Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association Most Valuable Player, and is a two-time All-CIAA selection. He was an All-Elite Eight choice a year ago. While having scored over 1,800 points in his career, Crockett is currently shooting 51.7 percent from the floor and 78.1 percent from the line, with 33 blocks and 43 steals.
Sheldon Pace of Southwest Baptist averaged a modest 13.9 ppg., but that was good enough to lead a balanced Bearcats team which finished 27-5. Southwest Baptist lost in the South Central Regional semifinals after winning the Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletic Association title. The 6'1" senior was named the MIAA Tournament MVP. An outstanding defensive player, he was also recognized as the MIAA Defensive Player of the Year, in addition to being named an All-MIAA first team selection.
Pace pulled down 4.5 rpg., and shot 51.6 percent from the floor, including 31 of 100 three-pointers. He ranks fifth in the country in assists (268), while leading the team in steals with 70. Both figures are school records.
Southern Indiana's Chris Thompson completes the second team. A 6'6" forward, Thompson led the Screaming Eagles to a 27-7 record. Southern Indiana lost in the Great Lakes Regional final. He was named the Co-Great Lakes Valley Conference Player of the Year after averaging 18.3 ppg. and 9.8 rpg. The latter figure is good for 12th in Division II. He shot 61.9 percent from the floor and 77.8 percent from the line, with 39 steals.
The third team features four seniors and a junior. Michael Ford of West Georgia is a 6'1" senior who led the Braves to a 19-10 ledger. He ranks third in Division II in scoring at 24.6 ppg., along with 4.8 rpg. and 90 assists. He was a first team All-Gulf South Conference East selection. He shot 41.4 percent from the floor, made 71 of 205 three-pointers, and shot 84.9 percent from the line.
Shaun McKie of Salem International joins Anderson as the lone juniors on the Daktronics team. A 6'3" guard who was named the West Virginia Intercollegiate Athletic Conference Player of the Year, McKie averaged 17.9 ppg. and 4.0 rpg. with 130 assists and 94 steals, ranking second in Division II in steals per game. He shot 43.2 percent from the floor and 78.2 percent from the line while making 42 of 118 three-pointers. McKie led the Tigers to a 21-9 record, losing in the quarterfinals of the East Regional.
St. Joseph's(In.) 6'4" swingman Sullian Sykes paced the Pumas to a 31-3 record, with their season coming to a close in the Great Lakes Regional. Sykes shared Player of the Year honors in the Great Lakes Valley Conference with Thompson while leading the GLVC in scoring. He was also named the Most Outstanding Player in the GLVC Tournament while leading the Pumas to the league title. Sykes averaged 19.0 ppg. and 5.7 rpg. with 91 assists and 53 steals. He shot 49.8 percent from the floor, making 32 of 90 three-pointers, and was at 78.9 percent from the free throw line.
John Williams led Bryant to its third straight appearance in the Northeast Regional. The 6'0" senior was named the Northeast-10 Co-Player of the Year, sharing the award with Moragne. He averaged 20.3 ppg. and 2.3 rpg., with 107 assists and 53 steals. Williams shot 45.1 percent from the floor and 88.1 percent from the line, in addition to making 115 of 257 three-pointers. Bryant finished the year with a 21-10 record. As a junior helped the Bulldogs to the Division II championship game.
The final member of the team is David Zellmann, a 6'2" senior from Winona State. Zellmann will join Crockett in the Elite Eight, as the Warriors will square off against Barton on March 22 in the quarterfinals. Winona State is currently 29-4 with 19 straight wins. Zellmann is averaging 19.1 ppg. and 5.1 rpg., with 131 assists and 67 steals. He is shooting 48.9 percent from the floor, has made 87 of 201 three-pointers, and is at 75.7 percent from the line. Zellmann was named the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference Player of the Year, and was also MVP of the conference tournament.
2006 DAKTRONICS NCAA DIVISION II MEN'S BASKETBALL ALL-AMERICA
TEAMS
First Team
Walt Baxley Mars Hill W 6-3 180 Sr. Winston-Salem, NC
Grant Dykstra Western Washington G/F 6-4 185 Sr. Everson, WA
Jasper Johnson Delta State F 6-7 256 Sr. Hollandale, MISS
Tayron Thomas# Philadelphia G 6-2 190 Sr. Bristol, PA
Turner Trofholz$ South Dakota F 6-8 235 Sr. Schuyler, NEB
PLAYER OF THE YEAR: Jasper Johnson, Delta State
Second Team
Luke Anderson Minnesota State G/F 6-6 190 Jr. Bloomington, MN
Duan Crockett Virginia Union G/F 6-6 175 Sr. Richmond, VA
Stacey Moragne# UMass-Lowell F 6-4 216 Sr. Evanston, IL
Sheldon Pace Southwest Baptist G 6-1 200 Sr. Los Angeles, CA
Chris Thompson Southern Indiana F 6-6 210 Sr. Starke, FL
Third Team
Michael Ford West Georgia G 6-1 195 Sr. Macon, GA
Shaun McKie Salem International G 6-3 180 Jr. Philadelphia, PA
Sullian Sykes St. Joseph's G/F 6-4 205 Sr. New Orleans, LA
John Williams Bryant G 6-0 165 Sr. Springfield, MA
David Zellmann Winona State G 6-2 Sr. Lewiston, MN
# 2005 second team selection $ 2005 third team selection