Post by hawkeye on Mar 6, 2007 6:38:18 GMT -5
www.ncataggies.com/Mensbasketball/2006-07%20articles/rushfirstteam.htm
RALEIGH, March 5, 2007 – Steven Rush made history earlier this season when he became the first North Carolina A&T men’s basketball player in seven years to win MEAC Player of the Year honor. Monday night, he produced another accomplishment the N.C. A&T men’s basketball program hasn’t received in a long time.
Rush became the first Aggie to earn All-MEAC first-team honors since the 2000-2001 season when Bruce Jenkins was named. Rush was honored at the 2007 MEAC Tournament Tip-Off Banquet from the RBC Center. Junior post player Jason Wills earned second-team honors.
Rush, who graduated from Greensboro Day School, came in with the reputation of being an outstanding shooter. He lived up to those expectations. Rush led the MEAC in 3-pointers made per game for the entire season and ranked among the nation’s best in the same category for most of the season.
“I just try to come out and play hard every night,’’ said Rush. “My mother always told me when you come to play and work hard, eventually good things will happen, and a lot of great things happened for me and my teammates. I didn’t come in trying to lead the team in scoring or making first team, I came in to work hard and good things happened.”
Rush did lead the Aggies in scoring at 17.1 points per game and was third in the conference in scoring. He broke the Aggies single-season record for 3-pointers made in the season and in doing so became the first Aggie in history to hit more than 100 3-pointers in a season. He also broke the Aggies record for 3-pointers in a game when he hit nine against Norfolk State on Feb. 24.
“When we brought Steve we told him he had the green light to shoot the ball,’’ said head coach Jerry Eaves. “When a coach tells you that, you can really shoot the basketball and Steve’s that kind of player.”
Rush is a UNC-Asheville transfer. He scored 30 or more points twice this season with 34 points against Florida A&M on ESPNU and 35 against Norfolk State. He scored 20 or more points 11 times this season.
Wills led the Aggies in scoring and rebounding last season and did not receive an All-MEAC honor. This season, he was second on the team in scoring and led the team in rebounding. Wills has 897 career points and 407 rebounds, more than any other player on the Aggies roster. Wills, a versatile player out of Upper Marlboro, Md., led in the conference in defensive rebounding, was sixth in field goal percentage, ninth in assists and 12th in scoring.
The Aggies swing into action in the MEAC Tournament on Thursday at 6 p.m., against the winner of the Norfolk State and Maryland-Eastern Shore game.
RALEIGH, March 5, 2007 – Steven Rush made history earlier this season when he became the first North Carolina A&T men’s basketball player in seven years to win MEAC Player of the Year honor. Monday night, he produced another accomplishment the N.C. A&T men’s basketball program hasn’t received in a long time.
Rush became the first Aggie to earn All-MEAC first-team honors since the 2000-2001 season when Bruce Jenkins was named. Rush was honored at the 2007 MEAC Tournament Tip-Off Banquet from the RBC Center. Junior post player Jason Wills earned second-team honors.
Rush, who graduated from Greensboro Day School, came in with the reputation of being an outstanding shooter. He lived up to those expectations. Rush led the MEAC in 3-pointers made per game for the entire season and ranked among the nation’s best in the same category for most of the season.
“I just try to come out and play hard every night,’’ said Rush. “My mother always told me when you come to play and work hard, eventually good things will happen, and a lot of great things happened for me and my teammates. I didn’t come in trying to lead the team in scoring or making first team, I came in to work hard and good things happened.”
Rush did lead the Aggies in scoring at 17.1 points per game and was third in the conference in scoring. He broke the Aggies single-season record for 3-pointers made in the season and in doing so became the first Aggie in history to hit more than 100 3-pointers in a season. He also broke the Aggies record for 3-pointers in a game when he hit nine against Norfolk State on Feb. 24.
“When we brought Steve we told him he had the green light to shoot the ball,’’ said head coach Jerry Eaves. “When a coach tells you that, you can really shoot the basketball and Steve’s that kind of player.”
Rush is a UNC-Asheville transfer. He scored 30 or more points twice this season with 34 points against Florida A&M on ESPNU and 35 against Norfolk State. He scored 20 or more points 11 times this season.
Wills led the Aggies in scoring and rebounding last season and did not receive an All-MEAC honor. This season, he was second on the team in scoring and led the team in rebounding. Wills has 897 career points and 407 rebounds, more than any other player on the Aggies roster. Wills, a versatile player out of Upper Marlboro, Md., led in the conference in defensive rebounding, was sixth in field goal percentage, ninth in assists and 12th in scoring.
The Aggies swing into action in the MEAC Tournament on Thursday at 6 p.m., against the winner of the Norfolk State and Maryland-Eastern Shore game.
