Senior forward Chris Gilliam (Baltimore, MD), the Daktronics NCAA Division II East Region Player of the Year and First Team All-East Region selection earned Second Team Daktronics All-America honors when this year's teams were released on Tuesday. Voting was conducted among Division II sports information directors. Daktronics is a world leader in programmable electronic signs, electronic and digital displays and scoreboards... (Daktronics Release) ... (WVIAC Release)
John Smith of Winona State (MN) University has been named the 2008 Daktronics NCAA Division II Men's Basketball Player of the Year. The 2008 Daktronics All-American Team was dominated by seniors, with just three juniors among the 15 players honored. Three players repeated from last year's team, with Smith earning a spot on the first team for the second straight year and teammate Jonte Flowers moving up from the third team. Sean Barnette of Wingate was also a third team selection a year ago.
Gilliam, the West Virginia Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (WVIAC) Player of the Year, led Pitt Johnstown to the West Virginia Conference regular season championship, a spot in the NCAA East Region Semifinals and a 23-8 overall record. Gilliam led the Mountain Cats in both scoring (19.6 ppg.) and rebounding (8.6 rpg.) and paced the WVIAC in field goal percentage at 64.1%. Gilliam posted 10 double-doubles and led the Mountain Cats in scoring on 21 occasions and rebounding 20 times in 2007-08. In the most recent national statistics, Gilliam ranks 12th in Field Goal Percentage (64.1%), 25th in Points Per Game (19.6 ppg.) and 47th in Rebounding (8.6 rpg.).
Gilliam, who was also named First Team East Region by the National Association of Basketball Coaches (NABC), is on a pace to be one of the top ten most accurate shooters in Division II history. Gilliam connected on 688 of 1047 (65.7%) field goals during his four-year Mountain Cat stint. Gilliam's 1,762 career points stands second on the All-Time Pitt Johnstown Scoring List, while his 699 career rebounds are third on the Mountain Cat All-Time Rebounding List.
A total of eight members of the 2008 Daktronics All-American team will compete in the NABC/NCAA Division II All-Star Game in Springfield, MA on Friday. They include Cory Abercrombie, Sean Barnette, Jeremy Black, Steve Dagostino, Jeff Fahnbulleh, Gilliam, Devin Peal, Jonny Reibel and Michael Sturns.
Smith, the Daktronics Player of the year, has led Winona State to a 35-1 record and a berth in the Elite Eight for the third straight year. The Warriors, winners of 29 straight games, will face Grand Valley State in the quarterfinals. The 6'8" senior is averaging 17.7 ppg. and 8.6 rpg. while shooting 52.0 percent from the floor (222 of 249) and going to the line an incredible 244 times, making 178 free throws (73.0 pct.). He also has 103 blocked shots, ranking ninth in Division II. He was named the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference Most Valuable Player. Smith has scored 2,219 career points along with 1,317 career rebounds and 420 blocked shots, ranking in the top ten in Division II in the last two categories. A year ago he was named the NABC Division II Player of the Year.
2008 DAKTRONICS NCAA DIVISION II MEN'S BASKETBALL ALL-AMERICAN TEAMS
First Team
Sean Barnette# Wingate G 6-4 210 Jr. Rock Hill, SC
Steve Dagostino St. Rose G 5-11 160 Sr. Schenectady, NY
Jonte Flowers# Winona State G 6-5 Sr. Cottage Grove, WI
Jonny Reibel Rollins G 6-2 180 Sr. Chicago, IL
John Smith@ Winona State F 6-8 Sr. McHenry, IL
PLAYER OF THE YEAR: John Smith, Winona State
Second Team
Jeremy Black Tampa F 6-8 230 Sr. Tampa, FL
Callistus Eziukwu Grand Valley State F/C 6-10 220 Sr. Muskegon, IL
Chris Gilliam Pitt-Johnstown F 6-7 235 Sr. Baltimore, MD
Anthony Hilliard Elizabeth City State G/F 6-4 205 Jr. Fayetteville, NC
Devin Peal Humboldt State F 6-4 230 Sr. Richmond, CA
Third Team
Cory Abercrombie Pittsburg State F/C 6-7 243 Sr. Piedmont, SC
Chris Commons USC Aiken F 6-8 215 Jr. Toledo, OH
Jeff Fahnbulleh Kentucky Wesleyan C 6-7 260 Sr. Los Angeles, CA
Scooby Johnson Texas A&M Commerce F 6-7 230 Sr. Houston, TX
Michael Sturns Holy Family G 6-5 Sr. Fort Worth, TX
@ 2007 first team selection
# 2007 third team selection
