Tuesday, March 31, 2015

PORTLAND, Ore. – Western Oregon forward Andy Avgi has been selected to the Division II Bulletin All-American team.  Avgi, who was the lone GNAC men's basketball player selected, was a fourth team pick.

Avgi is the first Western Oregon men's basketball player named to an All-American team since WOU joined the NCAA.

Earlier Avgi earned a sweep of the two West Region All-Region basketball teams being selected by the region's sports information directors (Daktronics) and coaches (NABC).

He was a first team selection to both teams.  Avgi was also the first Western Oregon player voted to the first team by either the coaches or SIDs since WOU joined the NCAA.

Alaska Anchorage guard Travis Thompson was selected to the second team by both the coaches and the sports information directors.

Joining Avgi on the NABC all-region first team were Pablo Coro of BYU-Hawaii, Terrence Drisdom of Cal Poly Pomona, Troy Leaf of Azusa Pacific, Zach Robbins of  Dixie State and Jordan Semple of Chico State. 

The NABC team matched the Daktronics team exactly except for the addition of Coro as the coaches select six players to the first team and the SIDs choose only five.  The SIDs choose Leaf as West Region Player of the Year, while the coaches chose Justin Leslie of Azusa Pacific as West Region Coach of the Year.

Robbins earned Daktronics honors for the third year in a row; he was a second team selection in 2013 and was voted to the first team in 2014.

Three Western Oregon players - Sean Kelly in 2003, Robert Day in 2004 and Blair Wheadon in 2012 - have been second team Daktronics selections.  Day is the only WOU player to have been previously selected to the NABC team.  He was a second team choice in 2004.

Avgi finished his junior season averaging 18.5 points per game, which ranked third in the GNAC.  He also ranked third in field goal percentage (61.2 percent) and 10th in rebounding (5.9).  Led by Avgi, Western Oregon completed its season with a 23-7 record, winning the GNAC regular-season title and advancing to the West Regionals.

Thompson, a 6-1 senior from Anchorage was one of five players named to the second team for both all-region units.  Thompson finished his career as the leading three-point shooter in GNAC history making 302.  He also finished his career with 1,667 points to rank 12th on the conference all-time scoring list.

This year Thompson finished fourth in the conference in scoring averaging 16.8 points per game, second in three-pointers made (3.07), fourth in free throw percentage (82.6), 10th in assists (3.46) and fourth in assist/turnover ratio (2.94).

2014-15 West Region All-Region Teams

NABC (Coaches): First Team - Troy Leaf, Azusa Pacific (Guard, 6-1, Sr., San Diego, CA); Pablo Coro, BYU-Hawaii (Guard, 6-3, Sr., Osorno, Chile); Terrence Drisdom, Cal Poly Pomona (Guard, 6-5, Sr., Corona, CA); Zach Robbins, Dixie State (Forward, 6-10, Sr., Upland, CA); Andy Avgi, Western Oregon (Forward, 6-6, Jr., Woodburn, OR); Jordan Semple, Chico State (Forward, 6-7, Sr., Arcata, CA). Second Team - Gelaun Wheelwright, California Baptist (Guard, 6-2, Jr., Riverside, CA); Travis Thompson, Alaska Anchorage (Guard, 6-1, Sr., Anchorage, AK);  Robert Duncan, Chico State (Guard, 6-3, So., Granite Falls, CA); Austin Bryan, Humboldt State (Guard, 6-4, Sr., Wenatchee, WA); Jordan Faison, Cal Poly Pomona (6-7, Jr., Lake Forest, CA).

Daktronics (SIDs): First Team - **Troy Leaf, Azusa Pacific (Guard, 6-1, Sr., San Diego, CA); +Terrence Drisdom, Cal Poly Pomona (Guard, 6-5, Sr., Corona, CA); *+Zach Robbins, Dixie State (Forward, 6-10, Sr., Upland, CA); Andy Avgi, Western Oregon (Forward, 6-6, Jr., Woodburn, OR); Jordan Semple, Chico State (Forward, 6-7, Sr., Arcata, CA). Second Team - Gelaun Wheelwright, California Baptist (Guard, 6-2, Jr., Riverside, CA); Travis Thompson, Alaska Anchorage (Guard, 6-1, Sr., Anchorage, AK); Pablo Coro, BYU-Hawaii (Guard, 6-3, Sr., Osorno, Chile); Robert Duncan, Chico State (Guard, 6-3, So., Granite Falls, CA); Austin Bryan, Humboldt State (Guard, 6-4, Sr., Wenatchee, WA). *First-team repeater  +Second-team repeater from 2013. **Daktronics West Region Player of the Year.