Wake Forest sophomore forward John Collins (208-F-97) earned a pair of honors Sunday as the ACC announced its annual conference awards. Collins was named the league's Most Improved Player while also earning first-team All-ACC recognition. He was also the runner-up in ACC Player of the Year voting.
Collins is the first Demon Deacon to be named to the All-ACC first team since Chris Paul in 2004-05. He is the first Wake Forest player to be named the league's Most Improved Player in the four-year history of the award.
The 6-10 forward averaged 19.1 points and 9.8 rebounds this season, posting 15 double-doubles. He led the league in scoring in conference games at 20.3 points per game, becoming the first Deac to average at least 20 points per game in league play since Josh Howard in 2002-03. Collins led the league in field goal percentage in both conference games (63.9%) and overall (62.3%). His streak of 12 consecutive 20-point games was the longest in ACC play since NC State's T.J. Warren in 2014 and the longest by a Demon Deacon in over four decades. Collins led the ACC in 20-and-10 games with 10 overall and eight in ACC play.
Collins, who averaged 7.3 points and 3.9 rebounds last season, improved his scoring by a league-leading 11.8 points per game and improved his rebounding by almost six per game.
The Demon Deacons (18-12, 9-9 ACC) open the ACC Tournament on Tuesday against Boston College. Tip-off at Barclays Center in Brooklyn is 2 p.m., and the game will air on ESPN2 and the ACC Network.
FAYETTEVILLE - Tullahoma (Tenn.) Motlow State College swingman Rashawn Fredericks (198-G-97) has committed to Cincinnati. Fredericks visited Arkansas this weekend and the Bearcats last weekend. The first-team National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA) All-American had a very good sophomore season. Fredericks averaged 17.7 points, 10.3 rebounds, 1.7 steals, 1.5 blocks and 1.0 assist per game. He shot 46.7 percent from the floor, 32.3 beyond the arc and 78.7 from the free throw l... [read more]
FAYETTEVILLE - Tullahoma (Tenn.) Motlow State College swingman Rashawn Fredericks (198-G-97) has committed to Cincinnati. Fredericks visited Arkansas this weekend and the Bearcats last weekend.
The first-team National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA) All-American had a very good sophomore season. Fredericks averaged 17.7 points, 10.3 rebounds, 1.7 steals, 1.5 blocks and 1.0 assist per game. He shot 46.7 percent from the floor, 32.3 beyond the arc and 78.7 from the free throw line. That followed a freshman season that saw him average 13.1 points and 10 rebounds each outing.
Fredericks played his high school basketball at Tampa (Fla.) Chamberlain.
By: Dudley E. Dawson Arkansas' basketball program hopes to hit the Motlow Daily Double this weekend as it hosts a first-team junior college All-American. Tullahoma, Tenn., Motlow State Community College forward Rashawn Fredericks(198-G-97) (6-6, 198) will begin his official visit with the Razorbacks on Thursday night. Fredericks was named a first-team junior college All-American after averaging 17.7 points, 10.3 rebounds, 1.7 steals and 1.5 blocks this season for the same school that... [read more]
By: Dudley E. Dawson
Arkansas' basketball program hopes to hit the Motlow Daily Double this weekend as it hosts a first-team junior college All-American.
Tullahoma, Tenn., Motlow State Community College forward Rashawn Fredericks (198-G-97) (6-6, 198) will begin his official visit with the Razorbacks on Thursday night.
Fredericks was named a first-team junior college All-American after averaging 17.7 points, 10.3 rebounds, 1.7 steals and 1.5 blocks this season for the same school that produced former Razorback Jaylen Barford, who was also a junior college first-team All-American.
He capped off the season with a 36-point performance on 14-of-26 from the field and 5-of-8 from the free throw line and also added 9 rebounds in Motlow's 86-82 loss to Vincennes in the second round of the NJCAA tournament in Hutchinson, Kan.
He's been really good for us the past two seasons,' Motlow assistant coach Zach Holt said Thursday afternoon. 'He shoots the ball really well, is a straight-line guy that can get to the rim and is a super athlete that can really score and rebound as evidenced by how he played this season and was named a first-team All-American.'
Holt, who recruited both Barford and Fredericks to Motlow for two different head coaches, noted that the Bucks' current star has already taken official visits to Cincinnati, South Florida and North Texas, where he decommitted last fall.
'He has one more official visit left if he wanted to use it, but does not have plans to do so right now,' Holt said.
Fredericks is a native of the U.S. Virgin Islands and finished up high school at Tampa (Fla.) Chamberlin.
During his sophomore season for the Bucks, Fredericks shot 46.7 percent from the floor, 32.9 perfect from 3-point range - with a high of eight made in one game - and 78.7 percent from the line.
He ended his Motlow career in the top 10 scoring with 1,001 points (a 15.2 ppg career average), is second on the school's career rebounding list with 769, seventh in steals (124), fifth in 3-pointers made (113) and fourth in blocked shots (84).
'He played the 3 and 4 for us because of the way that we play,' Holt said. 'I see him playing the 3 in college.
'I think he would fit in great at Arkansas. Coach Anderson does a great job with his kids. I've obviously watched a lot of their games because of Jaylen being there and I think it is a system that he would thrive in because he can take people off the dribble, can really shoot it, is also a very good passer and gets after it on defense.'
Holt has watched with joy how Barford played over his two seasons at Arkansas as he scored over 1,000 points and led the Razorbacks to a 49-22 record and two trips to the NCAA Tournament.
'That's been a lot of fun to watch,' Holt said. 'Jaylen is one of the best players that I have ever been around. He is such a tough matchup and has such a will to win. He is a proven winner, can shoot it and is fun to watch get to the rim.
'He's also a really good rebounder, especially on the offensive end.'
Fredericks played last summer on the Virgin Islands national team, which played exhibition games against a pair of college teams in Vanderbilt and James Madison, and finished fourth in the 2017 FIBA Americup in Argentina to advance to the 2019 Pan American Games.
The United States, featuring a group of NBA G League players, won the gold medal in the FIBA Americup.
Arkansas inked six high school seniors in the November early signing period and added Warner, Okla., Connors State guard Mason Jones (6-5, 205) - who will have three years of eligibility for the Razorbacks - on the opening day of the current April 11-May 6 late signing period.
Barford topped Arkansas in scoring (17.9) as a senior and led the SEC in 3-point shooting at 44.3 percent (87-of-201).
Last week, he was named MVP of the Portsmouth Invitational Tournament - which includes the 64 best college seniors - while averaging 19.3 points and 6.7 rebounds and shooting 38 percent from 3-point range while leading his team to a championship with a 3-0 record.
'He had a great showing at Portsmouth and I think he is going to have a great professional career,' Holt said. 'He just keeps on proving people wrong and we are very proud of him.'
Walter Hodge selected the top Virgin Islander playing abroad in last week's games - 3 days ago
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We bring you last week's top performances from Virgin Islanders who are playing abroad and who all have had prior experience of national team duties at youth or senior level. This week's number one is an international point guard Walter Hodge (183-86). Heto a victory against the third-ranked Louaize in the Lebanese LBL in Thursday night's game.
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WALTER HODGE
We bring you last week's top performances from Virgin Islanders who are playing abroad and who all have had prior experience of national team duties at youth or senior level.
#1. This week's number one is an international point guard Walter Hodge (183-86, college: Florida, currently plays in Lebanon). He led Homenetmen to a victory against the third-ranked Louaize (8-18) 94-83 in the Lebanese LBL in Thursday night's game.
Hodge scored 15 points and added 6 assists in 26 minutes on the court.
It was the game of the round between two top 3 ranked teams in Group A. Homenetmen Beirut (21-5) is placed first.
Hodge has individually a very good year with high stats. He averages: 19.8ppg, 3.0rpg, 7.4apg, 1.4spg, 2FGP: 60.2%(142-236), 3FGP: 38.3% and FT: 85.3% in 29 games he played so far.
Hodge has a dual citizenship: U.S. Virgin Islands and Puerto Rican.
He is currently a member of the U.S. Virgin Islands senior national team.
#2. Second place goes to former international center Frank Elegar (208-86, college: Drexel, currently plays in EuroCup). Elegar could not help Lokomotiv (6-0) to beat Darussafaka (5-1). He did not impress in that game on Friday.
Elegar scored only 2 points and blocked 2 shots.
The first-placed Lokomotiv (6-0) was defeated 67-59 on the road by the leading Darussafaka in the group G of Eurocup.
It's Elegar's first season with the team.
His overall stats this year are: 9.9ppg, 6.2rpg, 2FGP: 68.0%(70-103) and FT: 69.8%.
Elegar is another player who holds two passports: U.S. Virgin Islands and Guyanese.
He played for the U.S. Virgin Islands national team in 2016.
#3. The U.S. Virgin Islands player who performed third best last week abroad was an international guard Deon Edwin (190-92, agency: Interperformances, college: Kent St., currently plays in Finland). Edwin was not able to help KTP-Basket (17-23) in their last game. Despite his very good performance KTP-Basket lost 69-77 in Salo to the leading n Vilpas.
Edwin was the second best scorer with 16 points. He also added 4 rebounds in 30 minutes; quite an impressive performance considering it's only Edwin's third season in pro basketball. It was KTP-Basket's fourth consecutive loss in a row.
Edwin has very impressive stats this year: 15.4ppg, 6.2rpg, 2.2apg, 1.2spg, 2FGP: 54.4%, 3FGP: 35.3% and FT: 77.5% in 44 games.
He is also a member of the U.S. Virgin Islands senior national team.
#4. Center Craig Williams (206-89, college: TCU, currently plays in Japan) was not able to secure a victory for Sendai 89ers (20-33) in their game against Kagawa FA (18-33) in the Japanese B2 League.
Williams scored 8 points, had 8 boards, handed out 5 passes and blocked 2 shots.
Sendai 89ers (#4) were defeated 79-70 in Takamatsu by the lower-ranked Kagawa FA (#5) in the East group.
They ended the series of three consecutive victories.
Williams has relatively good stats this season: 13.9ppg, 8.8rpg and 2.8apg.
He used to play for the U.S. Virgin Islands national team
back in 2016.
#5. International forward Ivan Aska (201-90, college: Murray St., currently plays in France) contributed to an easy victory against the league outsider Charleville-Mezieres (6-22) crushing them 90-58 in the French ProB (second division) last Saturday.
Aska recorded 6 points and grabbed 5 rebounds in 22 minutes.
Sluc Nancy Basket Pro (17-11) is placed seventh in the ProB.
This year Aska has relatively solid stats: 11.8ppg, 6.0rpg and 1.6apg in 28 games.
He has both U.S. Virgin Islands and Puerto Rican nationalities.
Aska plays currently for the U.S. Virgin Islands national team.
Other top U.S. Virgin Islands players, who play abroad:
Notice: The list above includes only some of the U.S. Virgin Islands playing currently abroad. Go to U.S. Virgin Islands Abroad Page to see completed list.
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