Men's Basketball

Winona State's Flowers, Smith Headline All-North Central Team

by Larry Scott, Sports Information Director, MSU Moorhead

MOORHEAD, MN (March 12, 2008) - - - Jonte Flowers and John Smith of Winona State University have been named 2008 DAKTRONICS NCAA Division II North Central Region Men's Co-Players of the Year.

Flowers and Smith also join Drake Beranek, University of Nebraska-Kearney, David Dreas, St. Cloud State University and Atila Santos, Minnesota State University, Mankato on the five-man first team all-region team.

Saluted as the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference Defensive Player of the Year for a fourth straight season, Flowers averaged 16.8 points per game, 5.3 rebounds pr game and 3.3 steals per game for the Warriors and helped Winona State capture a fourth straight NSIC regular season championship.

Smith averaged 18.0 ppg and 8.5 rpg this winter and was named Most Valuable Player in the NSIC for a second straight year. He helped the Warriors capture a fourth straight NSIC regular season title and earn the number one seed for the approaching regional tournament. Smith was named the NABC Division II Player of the Year as a junior.

Beranek averaged 20.5 ppg for Nebraska-Kearney and was a first team All-Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference pick as a sophomore. A two-time All-North Central Conference selection, Dreas averaged a club high 17.8 ppg for St. Cloud State as a senior. A four-time NCC Player of the Week, Santos averaged 16.0 ppg and 10.6 for the Mavericks this winter.

The second team includes Geremey Gibson, Regis University, Corey McIntosh, Augustana College, Devon Manning, Fort Lewis College, Kevin Ratzsch, Northern State University and Brian Stamer of Colorado Christian University.

The five first-team members are candidates for the 2008 DAKTRONICS All-American team to be announced March 25. Voting was conducted among Sports Information Directors from the North Central Conference, Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference and the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference.