HIGH POINT, N.C. – Eleven student-athletes, representing nine institutions, make up the fourth annual North Carolina Collegiate Sports Information Association (NCCSIA) University Division All-State men’s basketball teams released Tuesday.
Three unanimous selections headline the team, including Davidson College sophomore Stephen Curry, senior Arizona Reid of High Point University and Kyle Hines of the University of North Carolina at Greensboro, the first four-time all-state men’s hoops selection. Davidson, which competes Friday in the Sweet Sixteen round of the NCAA Division I Tournament, placed two students on the team, as did the University of North Carolina at Wilmington.
The squads consist of student-athletes from the state’s NCAA Division I colleges and universities. North Carolina sports information professionals submitted nominees and NCCSIA members selected the teams. The all-state basketball units consist of the top 10 vote-getters and include students involved in ties.
Founded in 2002, NCCSIA is comprised of sports information professionals from North Carolina’s NCAA Division I, II, III, NAIA and independent institutions for the purpose of promoting college athletics in the state. Membership is open to anyone affiliated with a college, university or conference located in North Carolina whose responsibilities include sports information.
NCCSIA selects all-state teams in the university (NCAA Division I) and college (Division II, III, NAIA, NCCAA) divisions for women’s volleyball, men’s and women’s basketball, men’s and women’s soccer, softball and baseball. Over 500 student-athletes have been recognized on all-state teams since 2003.
NCCSIA’s all-state college division men’s basketball teams were also released Tuesday. The organization announced its fourth annual all-state women’s basketball squads March 24 and will publish all-state baseball and softball teams in May.
North Carolina Collegiate Sports Information Association / 2007-08 University Division All-State Men’s Basketball Teams
First Team
Pos. Name Class School Hometown
G Stephen Curry # So. Davidson Charlotte, N.C.
F Kyle Hines #*@ Sr. UNC Greensboro Sicklerville, N.J.
F Arizona Reid # Sr. High Point Gaffney, S.C.
G Jason Richards + Sr. Davidson Barrington, Ill.
F Jonathan Rodriguez # So. Campbell Miami, Fla.
Second Team
G T.J. Carter ^ Sr. UNC Wilmington Mechanicsville, Md.
G Leemire Goldwire Sr. Charlotte Palm Beach Gardens, Fla.
G Brett James Sr. Elon Richmond, Va.
C Vladimir Kuljanin Sr. UNC Wilmington Toronto, Ontario
F Thomas Sanders Sr. Gardner-Webb Sugarland, Texas
G Bryan Smithson Sr. UNC Asheville Kennesaw, Ga.
# – 2006-07 NCCSIA University Division All-State First Team
+ – 2006-07 NCCSIA University Division All-State Second Team
* – 2005-06 NCCSIA University Division All-State First Team
^ – 2005-06 NCCSIA University Division All-State Second Team
@ – 2004-05 NCCSIA University Division All-State Second Team
Davidson’s Stephen Curry enjoyed an amazing performance last weekend and led the Wildcats to the “Sweet 16†of the NCAA Tournament after upset victories over Gonzaga University and Georgetown University. The sophomore won Southern Conference Player of the Year and First Team National Association of Basketball Coaches (NABC) All-District 5 honors. During 2007-08, he has named Southern Conference Player of the Week five times and was a three-time Southern Conference Player of the Month. He leads the league in scoring and ranks fourth nationally with 25.7 points per game through contests of March 24.
UNC Greensboro senior forward Kyle Hines earned United State Basketball Writers Association (USBWA) All-District 5 honors for the third time in his career this year. The Spartans’ all-time leading scorer, rebounder and shot blocker, Hines became the 96th student in college basketball history to record 2,000 points and 1,000 rebounds in a career. He is one of six students who also blocked 300 shots. The fourth four-time First Team All-Southern Conference performer ranked second to Curry in the league with 19.2 points per game and paced the conference with 9.1 boards and 3.06 blocks per outing.
High Point senior forward Arizona Reid captured Big South Conference Player of the Year laurels for the second time and became the third student to win the prize in consecutive seasons. The Gaffney, S.C., native also won First Team All-Big South honors for the third straight year and was named Second Team All-District 5 by the NABC. The league’s career rebounding leader (1,014), Reid became the 97th student in college basketball history and the first Big South performer to reach 2,000 points and 1,000 rebounds in a career. Reid led the conference in rebounds (11.0 rpg.) and ranked second in scoring (23.9 ppg.). He stands sixth nationally in both categories.
Davidson senior Jason Richards garnered First Team All-Southern Conference honors from the league’s coaches and media and leads the nation with 8.0 assists per game. The Bob Cousy Award nominee has handed out 10 or more assists on nine separate occasions and recorded six double-doubles, which give him 10 for his career. He earned All-Southern Conference Tournament honors and stands second on the Wildcats’ career assists chart (641).
A sophomore forward from Miami, Fla., Campbell’s Jonathan Rodriguez ranks 22nd nationally in scoring (20.9) and 20th in rebounding (10.1). He was a First Team All-Atlantic Sun Conference pick for the second year in a row after leading the league in scoring and ranking second in rebounds. One of only six students in Division I to average 20-plus points and 10-plus rebounds, Rodriguez set school records for free throws made (208) and attempted (272) in a season.
UNC Wilmington placed two students on the second-team all-state squad, seniors T.J Carter and Vladimir Kuljanin. Charlotte University’s Leemire Goldwire, Elon University’s Brett James, Gardner-Webb University’s Thomas Sanders and Bryan Smithson of the University of North Carolina at Asheville round out the unit.