Basden, Withers first-team All-CUSA

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CONFERENCE USA 5201 N. O’Connor Blvd., Suite 300, Irving, TX 75039 (214) 774-1300

For Immediate Release
March 7, 2005
Contact: Courtney Morrison-Archer

C-USA ANNOUNCES MEN’S BASKETBALL ALL-CONFERENCE SQUADS
Two 49ers Land On First Team; Five Schools With Multiple Honorees

MEMPHIS - For the second straight season, Marquette senior Travis Deiner, Louisville junior Francisco Garcia and Charlotte junior Curtis Withers find their names among the five players named to the 2005 All-Conference USA First Team. The trio are joined this season by seniors Eddie Basden of Charlotte and Quemont Greer of DePaul, who each earned the first all-conference accolades of their respective careers. The awards are voted on by the league’s coaches and media.

Diener secured his fourth all-conference honor this season, despite being sidelined for the last three games of the regular season with a broken hand. The sharp-shooting guard led the league in scoring with a 19.7 ppg average and finished his career ranked eighth on the league’s all-time scoring chart with 1,691 career points. Diener earned his second first-team honor after being named to the second team in 2003 and the all-freshman team in 2002.

Garcia and Withers have collected identical honors in their first three seasons in the league. Both players earned all-freshman team honors in 2003 to go with their pair of first-team honors. Garcia led Louisville to the school’s first ever C-USA regular season championship after averaging a team-leading 15.3 points and 4.0 assists.

Withers and Basden gave the league a pair of teammates on the first team for the second-consecutive year. Memphis had a pair of players on the first team last season as well as in 2002. Withers led Charlotte in scoring and was fifth in the league at 17.5 ppg. His 19.1 ppg in conference games was a league best.

Basden was one of the league’s top all-around players ranking in the Top 10 in points (10th, 15.3), rebounds (5th, 8.5), assists (10th, 3.6) and steals (1st, 3.3), while sharing league-high honors with three C-USA Player of the Week awards. The Washington, D.C., native shared that honor with Greer, who led DePaul in scoring (18.3) and rebounding (7.2) this season. Greer’s scoring average was second in the league as he surpassed the 1,000-point total for his career this season.

Five different teams were represented on the second team, led by a quartet of seniors. Cincinnati forward Jason Maxiell was the only repeat member from the 2004 second team. The fourth-year Bearcat is joined on the squad by fellow seniors Andre Owens of Houston, Terrence Leather of USF and Donell Taylor of UAB. The only non-senior on the second team is Memphis junior Rodney Carney. Leather was a third-team member in 2004.

The third-team features the only underclassmen to be named all-conference as Memphis point guard Darius Washington, Jr., landed a spot on the squad. Louisville, DePaul, and Cincinnati each had their second player named to third team. Garcia’s backcourt mate Taquan Dean also represents the Cardinals. DePaul’s Drake Diener, who is the cousin of first-teamer Travis Diener, gives his family a pair of all-conference honorees.

Eric Hicks gives the Bearcats a pair of forwards on the all-league squads with his selection to the third-team. TCU point guard Corey Santee earned third-team honors for the second-consecutive season.

Ten teams were represented with at least one player on the all-conference teams, with five teams having two honorees and five others having just one representative. The forwards edged out the guards with an eight to seven ratio.

2004-05 C-USA MEN’S BASKETBALL ALL-CONFERENCE TEAMS

2004-05 ALL-CONFERENCE USA FIRST TEAM
Eddie Basden, Charlotte, G/F, 6-5, 215, Sr., Washington, D.C. (Eleanor Roosevelt)
Travis Diener, Marquette, G, 6-0, 165, Sr., Fond du Lac, Wis. (Goodrich)
Francisco Garcia, Louisville, F, 6-7, 185, Jr., Bronx, N.Y. (Winchendon)
Quemont Greer, DePaul, F, 6-7, 240, Sr., Milwaukee, Wisc. (Berkshire Academy)
Curtis Withers, Charlotte, F, 6-8, 230, Jr., Charlotte, N.C. (West Charlotte)

2004-05 ALL-CONFERENCE USA SECOND TEAM
Rodney Carney, Memphis, F, 6-7, 205, Jr., Indianapolis, Ind. (Northwest)
Terrence Leather, USF, F, 6-9, 221, Sr., Tampa, Fla. (Robinson)
Jason Maxiell, Cincinnati, F, 6-7, 240, Sr., Carrollton, Texas (Newman Smith)
Andre Owens, Houston, G, 6-4, 200, Sr., Indianapolis, Ind. (Indiana)
Donell Taylor, UAB, G, 6-6, 180, Sr., Montgomery, Ala. (Okaloosa-Walton)

2004-05 ALL-CONFERENCE USA THIRD TEAM
Taquan Dean, Louisville, G, 6-3, 185, Jr., Red Bank, N.J. (Neptune)
Drake Diener, DePaul, G, 6-5, 200, Sr., Fond du Lac, Wis. (Goodrich)
Eric Hicks, Cincinnati, F, 6-6, 240, Jr., Greensboro, N.C. (Dudley)
Corey Santee, TCU, G, 6-2, 193, Sr., Flint, Mich. (Maine Central)
Darius Washington, Jr., Memphis, G, 6-2, 185, Fr., Orlando, Fla. (Edgewater)

-www.ConferenceUSA.com-

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some good news to start the week off! Too bad Plav didn’t at least make 3rd team…I wonder how far off he was.

I think I’m going to Graceland (and the Fed-Ex Forum)

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SOLID! Congrats to Eddie and Curt. It will really be something if Eddie gets Def POY and POY.

C-USA release

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Thanks Mike.

Great job Curt and Eddie, very well deserved.

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No Bearcats on the first team? Is that a first in C-USA? I really think Hicks should have been at least second team. He had a hell of a year.

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NUN,

Agreed. Hicks friggin’ carried UC for a good part of the season -> The guy is awesome. Also, BP should have at least made third team. Don’t see how Owens, Leather, or Taylor belong on the 2nd team.

Question Greer as a first teamer also.

Possible spin by Banokosky for next yrs much depleted C-USA?

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[i]Originally posted by NinerFan[/i]@Mar 7 2005, 01:49 PM [b] NUN,

Agreed. Hicks friggin’ carried UC for a good part of the season → The guy is awesome. Also, BP should have at least made third team. Don’t see how Owens, Leather, or Taylor belong on the 2nd team.

Question Greer as a first teamer also.

Possible spin by Banokosky for next yrs much depleted C-USA? [/b]


Congrats to our NINERS!

Leather and Owens are excellent players. Depaul won’t be in C-USA next season.

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[b]No Bearcats on the first team? Is that a first in C-USA? [/b]

I thought it was a first, but in 2003 and 2004 no Bearcats were on the first team. This is the 3rd year in a row with no Bearcats on the 1st team. Who’d a thunk it?

2003 1st Team All-CUSA

Reece Gaines, UL
Chris Massie, Memphis
Marquee Perry, SLU
Louis Truscott, Houston
Dwyane Wade, Marquette

2004 1st Team All-CUSA

Sean Banks, Memphis
Antonio Burks, Memphis
Travis Diener, Marquette
Francisco Garcia, UL
Curtis Withers, Charlotte

CUSA All-Time Awards

This also the first time we’ve had two players on the 1st team. Congrats to Eddie and Curtis.

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Can’t argue with any of the selections on those 3 teams. Kudos to the Niners for getting two first-teamers!!!

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who were the pre-season all conf picks?

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[b]This also the first time we've had two players on the 1st team. Congrats to Eddie and Curtis.[/b]

No, it’s not. DeMarco and Colson were first-team in '98.

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Congrats to Eddie & Curt. BP??? I’d like to argue him as 3rd team, but I can’t quite build a compelling case.

In other news, Hicks got screwed. He & Maxiell should be swapped.

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[i]Originally posted by elvis[/i]@Mar 7 2005, 02:20 PM [b] who were the pre-season all conf picks? [/b]
Withers - Charlotte T. Diener - Marquette Garcia - Louisville (Pre-season POY) Maxiell - Cincinnati Sean Banks - Memphis
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Cory Santee is a joke being on third team. Plavich should be in that slot!!! Just compare their stats and what their teams have accomplished!!

Congrats to EB and Curt!!! Awesome!!!

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Congrats to Curtis and Eddie!

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[i]Originally posted by N1NER[/i]@Mar 7 2005, 02:45 PM [b]
[b]This also the first time we've had two players on the 1st team. Congrats to Eddie and Curtis.[/b]

No, it’s not. DeMarco and Colson were first-team in '98. [/b]


That’s correct, N1NER. I was looking at the wrong year. Gracias!!!

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I think it would be freakin awesome if once the NCAA tourney was over…They had another tourney, or all the “all conferance players.” Like they do in colege football…

Could you imagine Diener running the point, Garcia at the 2, Eddie at 3, and Curt and Greer down low :wacko: :thumbsup: :eek:

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[i]Originally posted by greengoblin[/i]@Mar 7 2005, 03:20 PM [b] Cory Santee is a joke being on third team. Plavich should be in that slot!!! Just compare their stats and what their teams have accomplished!!

Congrats to EB and Curt!!! Awesome!!! [/b]


How about the leading scorer in conference play for the team that won the league by 2 full games not even making the 3rd team.

It’s Larry O’Bannon by the way and he did lead UofL in scoring in the 16 CUSA games. Granted UofL is more of a balanced team than one that relies on 1 or 2 guys but still there are multiple guys with legit cases to be included.

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I think Obannon got robbed and is the best player on your team. I’d make him the MVP for his late season heroics.

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[i]Originally posted by Collegecard+Mar 7 2005, 10:28 PM-->
[b]QUOTE[/b] (Collegecard @ Mar 7 2005, 10:28 PM)