Emile Named All-Region

MORROW, Ga. - Mars Hill men's basketball player Sammy Emile was named to the 2011-12 Daktronics Division II All-Southeast Region Team, which was announced on Wednesday.

Emile, a 6-6 senior forward from Lake Worth, Fla., was the leading scorer in the nation in Division II during the regular season. He averaged 25 points a game in garnering first team All-South Atlantic Conference honors. Emile was also ranked fourth in the SAC in assists and fifth in steals.

Lander's Dwight Tolbert was selected as the 2011-12 Daktronics Division II Southeast Region Player of the Year for men's basketball. In addition to his postseason award, Tolbert was also selected first team All-Southeast Region in the process. He is joined on the All-Region first team by Georgia College's Ryan Aquino, Montevallo's D.J. Rivera, Mars Hill's Sammy Emile and Mount Olive's Craig Hayes.

With the first team selection, all five players are automatically eligible for Daktronics Division II All-American honors. The team is sponsored by Daktronics, Inc., an acknowledged world leader in scoring, timing and programmable display systems for virtually every sport at every level of competition. The team is voted on by the members of the College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA).

Hayes, a 6-4 senior guard from Woodbridge, Va., was selected as the Conference Carolinas Player of the Year, averaging 18.8 points a game. Hayes also shot 60 percent from the field to lead Conference Carolinas, and also shot 44 percent from 3-point range.

Tolbert, a 6-foot-5 senior forward from Tifton, Ga., was key in Lander's turnaround season in which the Bearcats recorded their first winning record since the 2007. Tolbert was selected Peach Belt Conference Player of the Year, leading the conference in scoring at 21.8 points a game and ranking third in 3-point percentage (.427). He had 18 games in which he scored 20 or more points, including six games of 30 or more points.

Aquino, a 6-8 senior forward from Roswell, Ga., led the Peach Belt in rebounding at 10.4 rebounds a game and also averaged 17.6 points a game to garner first team All-Peach Belt honors. Aquino also recorded 16 double-doubles. Rivera, a 6-4 senior guard from Philadelphia, Penn., triggered Montevallo's run to the Peach Belt Conference Tournament championship by averaging 21.7 points a game. He shot 45 percent from the field and had 18 games with 20 or more points, including two of 30 or more points.

2012 Daktronics Division II Men's All-Southeast Region Team

First Team
Player School YR POS HT WT Hometown
Dwight Tolbert Lander SR F 6-5 210 Tifton, GA
Ryan Aquino Georgia College SR F 6-8 225 Roswell, GA
D.J. Rivera Montevallo SR G 6-4 190 Philadelphia, PA
Sammy Emile Mars Hill SR F 6-6 200 Lake Worth, FL
Craig Hayes Mount Olive SR G 6-4 235 Woodbridge, VA
2012 Southeast Region Player of the Year: Dwight Tolbert (Lander)

Second Team
Player School YR POS HT WT Hometown
Liki Turner Francis Marion SR F 6-5 215 Richmond, VA
Denzail Jones Anderson JR G 5-9 160 Tuscaloosa, AL
Tyshawn Good Belmont Abbey JR G 6-1 175 Jamaica, NY
Sterling Council USC Aiken SR G 6-0 170 Camden, SC
Gerald Boston Barton JR G 5-10 165 Burlington, NC