April 5, 2011
FARMVILLE, Va. -- Frank Hassell was named to the first team All-State, while KentBazemore earned honorable mention honors for the 2011 University Division All-Statesquad as selected by the Virginia Sports Information Director's Association(VASID).
University of Richmond forward Justin Harper has been selected as Player of the Year, VCU head coach Shaka Smart is the Coach of the Year, and VMI center D.J. Covington was picked as the Rookie of the Year.
Hassell averaged 15.1 points and 9.4 rebounds per game for the Monarchs who were 27-7, captured their second straight CAA Tournament title and advanced to the NCAA Tournament.
Hassell was named MVP of the CAA Tournament along with earning first team All-CAA and NABC All-District 10 honors. He was named SI.com honorable mention All-American and the Collegeinsider.com Riley Wallace All-American.
Hassell completed his career with 1282 career points and 909 career rebounds. He ranks 28th all-time at ODU in scoring and 10th all-time in rebounding. He played 138 career games which is second all-time in school history.
Hassell and his fellow seniors won 97 career games, the best ever at ODU which included two NCAA appearances, a collegeinsider.com post season title and the quarterfinals of the CBI Tournament.
The 6-5 Bazemore led the CAA in steals with a 2.2 per game average and was the league's Defensive Player of the Year, and Collegeinsider.com's National DefensivePlayer of the Year. He currently ranks 21st nationally in steals. He also blocked 30 shots. Bazemore was second on the Monarchs in scoring at 12.3 points per game was named second team All-CAA and NABC All-District 10. ODU finished the season with a 27-7 record, capturing its second straight CAA title and advancing to the NCAA Tournament as a number nine seed.
Bazemore had three or more steals in a game 11 times, including six against UNC Wilmington on Jan. 24th and five against Richmond on Dec. 1. He also blocked three shots in a game against Hofstra in the CAA semi-finals and against Georgia State on Feb. 15th. Bazemore also grabbed six or more rebounds 11 times including 12 at William and Mary, 10 at Delaware, nine vs. Xavier and eight vs. Cleveland State.
Harper, a 6-10 senior from Meadowbrook High School in Richmond, averaged 17.9 points and 6.9 rebounds with 77 three-point field goals while shooting 53% from the field, including 45% on three-pointers, and 80% at the free throw line. He led the Spiders to a 29-8 record, including 13-3 in the Atlantic 10 Conference, while leading UR to the A-10 Tournament title and to the NCAA Tournament Sweet 16. Harper earned 1st-Team All-Atlantic 10, Atlantic 10 All-Tournament Team, NABC All-District 4 1st-Team, Richmond Times-Dispatch All-State and Player of the Year, and was named to the Lute Olson All-America Team by CollegeInsider.com.
Smart led VCU to a 28-12 overall record, including 12-6 in the Colonial Athletic Association (CAA), before the Rams advanced to the NCAA Tournament Final Four for the first time in school history. His team had consecutive post-season wins over USC, Georgetown, Purdue, Florida State, and Kansas before falling 70-62 to Butler in a national semifinal game. Smart's Rams tied a school record with 28 wins after finishing as CAA Tournament runners-up following a fourth-place finish during the regular season before entering the NCAA Tournament as a #11 seed -- only the third 11th seed to ever reach the Final Four.
Covington, a 6-9 freshman from Virginia Beach, averaged 9.1 points, 5.3 rebounds, and 2.3 blocks for VMI and shot 62% from the field and 60% at the free throw line. He helped the Keydets to an 18-13 overall record, including 10-8 in the Big South Conference, while earning Big South Freshman of the Year honors. Covington led the league in blocks.
Harper was joined on the VaSID 1st-Team by Richmond teammate and senior Kevin Anderson, James Madison senior Denzel Bowles, Virginia Tech senior Malcolm Delaney, Old Dominion senior Frank Hassell, and VCU senior Jamie Skeen. Anderson averaged 16.6 points and 3.3 assists while named 1st-Team All-Atlantic 10 and Atlantic 10 Tournament MVP. Bowles averaged 17.6 points and 8.8 rebounds while named 1st-Team All-CAA. Delaney averaged 18.7 points and 4.0 assists while earning All-ACC 1st-Team honors. Skeen averaged 15.7 points and 7.3 rebounds while earning All-CAA 2nd-Team, CAA All-Tournament Team, and NCAA Southwest Regional Tournament MVP honors.
The VaSID 2nd-Team included Longwood junior Antwan Carter (18.2 points, 9.5 rebounds), George Mason senior Cam Long (15.1 points, 4.7 rebounds), Norfolk State junior Kyle O'Quinn (16.4 points, 11.1 rebounds), Hampton junior Darrion Pellum (17.5 points, 4.3 rebounds), and Liberty junior Jesse Sanders (11.3 points, 6.0 rebounds, 5.7 assists).
Honorable mention honors went to Virginia Tech senior Jeff Allen, ODU senior Kent Bazemore, VCU junior Bradford Burgess, VMI senior Austin Kenon, William and Mary junior Quinn McDowell, and VCU senior Joey Rodriguez.