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For the third straight season, BYU has representation on the NABC All-District 17 First Team. Keena Young made the team in 2007, Lee Cummard and Trent Plaisted were honorees last season, and Cummard repeats as a First Teamer this season. Here's the official release:
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KANSAS CITY, Mo. (March 5, 2009) — The National Association of Basketball Coaches named BYU senior Lee Cummard to the NABC All-District 17 First Team on Thursday. The honor marks the second-straight season Cummard has earned NABC All-District First Team honors.
"Lee is very deserving of this award," BYU head coach Dave Rose said. "He has been consistent not only this year but throughout his entire career. He is undoubtedly one of the best players in the western United States."
In all, 240 student-athletes — from 24 districts which were realigned this season — were recognized as the nation's finest men's collegiate basketball players as selected and voted on by members of the NABC.
An honorable mention All-American and Mountain West Conference co-Player of the Year in 2008, Cummard leads BYU in scoring (17.1 points per game), blocked shots (26), three-point percentage (.413) and free throw percentage (.845). He is second in rebounding (6.4) and assists (3.2).
Cummard, a candidate to repeat as the MWC Player of the Year, has reached double figures in 25 of 29 games this season while scoring 20 or more points on 10 occasions. He has posted season highs of 36 points, 12 rebounds, six assists and four blocks. Cummard is ranked in the top-10 in nine statistical categories in the MWC.
Currently ranked 11th all-time in scoring at BYU, Cummard is also sixth in career steals and fourth in made threes. Having played all 127 games in his career Cummard is one game from tying the BYU record for consecutive games played and two from tying the record for career games played.
Joining Cummard on the District 17 First Team are Utah's Luke Nevill, UNLV's Wink Adams and Kyle Spain and Lorenzo Wade of San Diego State. The Second Team includes Brandon Ewing of Wyoming, Tony Danridge and Daniel Faris of New Mexico, Kevin Langford of TCU and Rene Rougeau of UNLV.
The all-district honorees are now eligible for the State Farm Coaches' Division I All-America teams to be announced on Saturday, April 4, as part of the 2009 NABC Convention in Detroit.
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Elsewhere, BYU has finally done enough to be considered a "lock" in ESPN.com's Bubble Watch.
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collegerpi.com's Jerry Palm has updated his projected bracket. He has BYU as an 8 seed facing 9 seed Ohio State in the same quadrant as 1 seed Oklahoma, in Kansas City. Utah is a 7 seed, and UNLV is a 10 seed. Utah State (12) and Weber State (14) are also in Palm's projected field.
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I will be a voting member on the panel selecting the all-Mountain West Conference Basketball honorees this season. As is my custom, I'll wait until the final games are played on Saturday night before casting my ballot either later that night or early Sunday. The mtn. will present the MWC Basketball Awards Show next Monday at 2:00pm. Once the results are released, I may share my choices and rationale for each selection.
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