February 24, 2012

2011-12 Capital One Division II Academic All-America Release (PDF)

COMMERCE, Texas -- Texas A&M University-Commerce senior forward Desmond King and junior forward Andrew Davis are among the 15 players named Capital One Division II Academic All-Americans for men's basketball, announced by the Collegiate Sports Information Directors of America. King was named a first team Academic All-American, with Davis picking up third-team honors.

"I'm incredibly proud of both Desmond and Andrew as they continue to excel both on the court as well as the classroom," said head coach Sam Walker. "They have been leaders on this team all season long and are proving to be excellent role models that you can be successful in both facets as a student-athlete. They deserve to have this recognition."

A&M-Commerce was the only school in the country to have a pair of players named to the Academic All-American team. Voting was done by sports information professionals across the country as only players who were first team all-district selections were eligible for the national ballot.

King, the 2011-12 Lone Star Conference Preseason Player of the Year, leads the Lions in both points (14.8) and rebounds (5.8) per game while ranking second in field goal percentage (54.4). He ranks among the Lone Star Conference leaders in five different categories, including sitting fourth in points per game, 10th in rebounds per game, sixth in field goal percentage, 14th in blocked shots per game (0.6) and fifth in offensive rebounds per game (2.8). He has finished in double figures in 22 games this season with three double-doubles.

Davis, who was named to both the Lone Star Conference All-Academic Team and Commissioner's Honor Roll in 2011, has become a regular in the Lion lineup, starting 24 games for A&M-Commerce and averaging career-bests in both points (6.4) and rebounds (5.0). Davis has notched single-season career highs in nearly every statistical category and ranks 16th in the LSC in rebounds per game and 10th in defensive boards per game (3.7).

Both King and Davis have one game remaining in the regular season as the Lions continue to battle for the eighth and final spot in the Lone Star Conference Championship next week in Allen. A&M-Commerce hosts Angelo State in the regular season finale Saturday night at 8 p.m. as a Lions wil coupled with a Tarleton State victory over Abilene Christian will propel A&M-Commerce into the postseason.

2012 Capital One Division II Academic All-Americans

First Team
Rory Blanche - Western Washington
Ryan Dougherty - Southwest Baptist
Desmond King - A&M-Commerce
Kramer Soderberg - Lindenwood
Nick Trull - Anderson (S.C.)

Second Team
Mike Dentlinger - Nebraska-Kearney
David Downs - Seattle Pacific
Braydon Hobbs - Bellarmine
Chris Johansen - Regis
Jonathan Morse - Metropolitan State

Third Team
John Corrigan - Shippensburg
Andrew Davis - A&M-Commerce
Robert Huntington - Nova Southeastern
Matt Morris - Fort Lewis
Steve Swiech - California (Pa.)

Academic All-American of the Year: Nick Trull - Anderson (S.C.)