Emile Named Daktronics All-American

EDINBORO, Pa. - Mars Hill men's basketball member Sammy Emile has been named to the 2012 Daktronics Division II Men's Basketball All-American Team, which was announced Wednesday.

The 2012 Daktronics first team is led by Emile, who emerged as the leading scorer in Division II. The 6'6" senior averaged 25.0 ppg. to lead Division II. He added 5.8 rpg. and 90 assists and 41 steals, ranking fourth in the South Atlantic Conference in assists and fifth in steals. Emile shot 44.4 percent from the floor (199 of 448), including 35.0 percent on three-pointers (64 of 183), and made 239 of 307 free throws (77.9 percent). He was a first team All-SAC selection.

"I can not think of a more deserving player for this prestigious recognition," stated former Mars Hill head coach Thomas Nash. "Sammy is a true team player that has always put more focus on his teammates than on individual goals. Sammy Emile deserves this award and I am excited for him."

Bemidji State Univeristy senior James Ellisor has been named the 2012 Daktronics Division II Men's Basketball Ron Lenz National Player of the Year. Ellisor is a 6'5", 195 lb. forward who collected plenty of hardware while leading the Beavers to a 22-9 finish, a school-record for wins. Bemidji State made the NCAA playoffs for just the second time in school history.

In 2011-12, Ellisor was named the Daktronics Central Region Player of the Year and Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference Player of the Year, along with earning spots on the Daktronics All-Central Region first team, the NABC All-Central District first team, and the All-NSIC first team.

Ellisor led the NSIC in scoring with 22.9 points per conference contest. His 504 total points in league play established a new conference record for points in a season, while his 182 field goals made also placed his name atop the NSIC single-season list. The senior led the NSIC in 3-point percentage with a 57.8 percent clip and ranked in the top 10 in minutes per game (2nd, 33.86 mpg), field goal percentage (4th, 59.3%), free throw percentage (6th, 87.7%) and rebounds per game (9th, 6.0 rpg).

Overall, Ellisor averaged 21.9 ppg. and 6.5 rpg. He shot 57.8 percent from the floor (251 of 434), and was 34 of 68 on three-pointers, along with making 86.2 percent from the free throw line (144 of 167). He set school records for field goals made and free throws made.

Ellisor set the school record for points in a season with 680, with 18 20-plus point games. He scored 30-or-more points on five occasions, including the final three games of the regular season to guide the Beavers to their first NSIC Regular-Season Championship since 2003-04. He posted a career-high 34 points on three different occasions to tie for the league's top single-game performance.

A former transfer from Glendale Community College and a Glendale, Arizona native, Ellisor amassed 1,133 career points in two seasons at Bemidji State, ranking 13th in career scoring.

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). The online nomination and voting processes are powered by ATHLETICSITE.COM. Headquartered in Charleston, S.C., ATHLETICSITE.COM is the official provider for college athletic websites for over 30 sports organizations, including 26 colleges, universities and conferences primarily at the NCAA Division II level. To receive more information on how your institution can partner with ATHLETICSITE.COM for a customized website solution, visit www.athleticsite.com.

The Daktronics' first team features five seniors, and 13 of the 15 players honored as 2012 All-Americans are seniors. The other two are juniors. In addition, the Elite Eight is well represented with players from five of the eight teams earning Daktronics All-America honors. They include first team member Josh Magette of Alabama-Huntsville, second-teamer Braydon Hobbs of Bellarmine's, and from the third team - Michael Loyd of Midwestern State, Metropolitan State's Reggue Evans, and Montevallo's D.J. Rivera.

There were no repeat selections from the 2011 Daktronics team.

The First Team
In addition to Emile, Shaw's Malik Alvin enjoyed an outstanding season after transferring from Binghamton. The 5'11" senior led the Bears to a 27-4 record, reaching the Atlantic Region finals before losing to West Liberty. Shaw ended the year ranked seventh in Division II.

Alvin was named the Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association Player of the Year and was then selected as the Daktronics Atlantic Region Player of the Year. He averaged 19.6 ppg., 3.0 rpg., 3.4 assists per game and 1.4 steals per game. An outstanding shooter, he shot 53.6 percent overall (199 of 371), including 51.5 percent on three-pointers (69 of 134), and 83.5 percent from the line (142 of 170).

C.W. Post senior Stefan Bonneau concluded a brilliant two-year career for the Pioneers after transferring from Orange County Community College. He was the East Coast Conference Player of the Year as a junior and senior and led C.W. Post to a 23-6 finish and a berth in the East Regional in 2011-12. He was previously named the Daktronics East Region Player of the Year and has also been named to the NABC All-East Region Team.

The 5'10" senior from Middletown, OH ranks in the top ten in scoring in Division II this season at 21.7 ppg., adding 3.9 rpg. and 3.3 assists per game. He shot 42.9 percent from the floor (217 of 506), made 79 of 208 three-pointers (38.0 pct.), and was 116 of 147 at the free throw line (78.9 pct.). In two seasons Bonneau accumulated 1,196 points, good for 14th in career scoring.

Josh Magette has led the University of Alabama in Huntsville to a berth in the Elite Eight for the second straight year, where the Chargers will meet Bellarmine with a record of 29-3 and 20 straight wins. Magette was named the Daktronics South Region Player of the Year and was the Gulf South Conference Co-Player of the Year, along with earning NABC All-South Region accolades. A 6'1" guard from Birmingham, Alabama, had two triple-doubles this season, the only player in Division II to do so, and has gone over 800 assists for his career, holding the Gulf South Conference record and ranking fourth all-time in Division II.

Magette is averaging 12.9 ppg. and 5.5 rpg. while leading the country in assists at 8.9 per game. He adds 85 steals. Magette is shooting 50.6 percent from the floor (137 of 271), with 42 three-pointers in 94 attempts, and has made 68.3 percent from the charity stripe (71 of 104). Magette is a former GSC Freshman of the Year and was an NABC All-American a year ago.

The Second Team
The second team is led by Taylor Rohde of the University of Alaska-Anchorage. The 6'9" senior, a former transfer from Arizona State and a Phoneix, Arizona native, was previously named the Daktronics West Region Player of the Year. He averaged 19.8 ppg. and 8.0 rpg. whiule being named the Great Northwest Athletic Conference Player of the Year. The Seawolves finished with a 23-7 record, losing in the semifinals of the West Regional. Rohde scored 1,143 points in two seasons at Alaska-Anchorage.

Bellarmine University's Braydon Hobbs looks to lead the Knights to a second straight NCAA Division II national championship. Bellarmine (28-3) faces Alabama-Huntsville in the quarterfinals. Hobbs, the Great Lakes Valley Conference Player of the Year, is a 6'5" senior who is averaging 12.5 ppg. and 3.6 rpg. with 177 assists and 59 steals. The New Albany, Indiana native ranks fifth in career scoring (1,619 points) along with holding school records for career assists (713), career steals (215), and career three-pointers made (275).

Hobbs is one of three players on the second team from the Midwest Region. He's joined by Kentucky Wesleyan College's Anthony Young and Ashland University's Evan Yates. Young is a 6'7" senior who led the Panthers to the Midwest Region championship game and a final record of 23-8. The native of Indianapolis, Indiana averaged a GLVC-leading 19.7 ppg., adding 7.9 rpg. and was named the Daktronics Midwest Region Player of the Year. He was a first team All-GLVC selection and became the 39th player in KWC history to surpass 1,000 career points, finishing with 1,155 points, good for 19th all-time.

The 6'6" Yates is another powerful inside performer, putting together one of the finest seasons in Ashland history. The Cincinnati, Ohio native averaged 20.8 ppg. and 11.3 rpg. and shot 61.3 percent from the floor, all ranking first in the Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference. He broke a 40-year school record for rebounding average and he ranks eighth in career rebounding (594). Yates is one of only two juniors on the All-American team. Ashland finished with a 15-12 record.

Wrapping up the second team is BYU-Hawaii standout guard Tsung-Hsien (Jet) Chang. The 6'4" guard made quite a name for himself in last year's national tournament, and was the Pre-Season Player of the Year pick in several publications. The native of Yilan, Taiwan would lead the Seasiders and the Pacific West Conference in scoring at 17.8 ppg., adding 3.5 rpg. He was named the PacWest Player of the Year as BYU-Hawaii finished at 17-10.

The Third Team
The third team features three players from the South Central Region, starting with Keane Thomann of Missouri Southern State University. A 6'11" senior from Olney, Illinois, he averaged 21.5 ppg. and 7.9 rpg. while shooting a school-record 63.3 percent from the floor. Thomann was named the Daktronics South Central Region Player of the Year and the Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletic Association Player of the Year after leading the Lions to a 22-8 record and a berth in the South Central Regional. He ranks sixth in career scoring at MSSU (1,523 points).

Midwestern State University's Michael Loyd averaged a team-leading 13.0 ppg. and 2.8 rpg., adding 114 assists. The 6'1" senior from Las Vegas, Nevada leads the Mustangs into an Elite Eight meeting with Western Washington with a 29-3 record. He was named the Most Outstanding Player of the South Central Regional, which should come as no surprise since he scored 26 points in an NCAA tournament game against Florida while playing at BYU two years ago.

Reggie Evans of Metropolitan State is also headed to the Elite Eight, where the Roadrunners will play Montevallo and third team Daktronics All-American D.J. Rivera. Evans is a 6'4" senior from Aurora, Colorado who is leading the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference in scoring at 18.5 ppg. along with ranking sixth in rebounding (7.2 rpg.). Metro State won the Central Region title and will make its sixth appearance in the Elite Eight with a 25-6 record.

D.J. Rivera of the University of Montevallo is a 6'4' senior who has led the Falcons to a 27-7 record and the Southeast Region crown. A native of Philadelphia, Pa., he is another of the players with a Division I background after playing two seasons at St. Joseph's and one at Binghamton. He is averaging 21.8 ppg. and 2.5 steals per game, both figures tops in the Peach Belt Conference. Rivera was named the Most Outstanding Player at the Southeast Regional. He has already set the school single season scoring record with 698 points.

Washburn University's Will McNeill completes the Daktronics All-America squad. He joins Yates as the lone juniors on the team. A 6'1" native of Alexandra, La., he averaged 20.2 ppg. and 2.4 steals per game, both tops in the Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletic Association. He added 5.5 rpg. for the Falcons, who finished the year at 25-8 and won the MIAA championship. His big year came after he was forced to sit out the 2010-11 season with a broken bone in his foot.