ASU @ Elite 8

ASU’s Madgen Lands Top Honor

// March 12th, 2009 // News

Augusta State’s Ben Madgen was selected as the 2009 Daktronics Division II Southeast Region Player-of-the-Year, which was announced on Wednesday. In addition to his postseason award, Madgen was also selected first team All-Southeast Region in the process. He is joined on the All-Region first team by ASU teammate Garrett Siler, along with USC Aiken’s Chris Commons, Mount Olive’s Kendrick Beasley and Kyle Moore of Tusculum.

With the first-team selection, all five players are automatically eligible for Daktronics Division II All-American honors.

A 6-foot-4 junior guard from Williamstown, Australia, Madgen was selected first team All-Peach Belt Conference for the third straight season. He currently leads the Peach Belt Conference in both scoring and 3-point shooting percentage at 19.0 ppg., and 46 percent from 3-point range. Madgen is also shooting 49 percent from the field and 86 percent from the free throw line. Last weekend, Madgen was selected the Peach Belt Conference Tournament’s Most Valuable Player, pacing the Jaguars to their first PBC Tournament title since 2002. In addition, he’s also led the Jaguars to their third straight NCAA Tournament berth and to the highest national ranking in school history at No. 3.

Siler, a 7-foot senior center from Augusta, Ga., leads both the nation and the PBC in field goal shooting percentage at 79.3 percent. He’s averaging 16.0 points and 7.8 rebounds in the process to garner All-Peach Belt Conference honors for the third straight season. He ranks ninth in the nation in blocked shots (2.74 bpg.)and is the only player in the PBC to rank in the top five in scoring, rebounding, field goal percentage and blocked shots. He scored in double figures 27 times, including eight 20-point games, and he registered a team-best eight double-doubles.

Commons helped pace USC Aiken to its second straight 20-win season and earned Peach Belt Conference Player of the honors for a second straight season, averaging 17 points and six rebounds a game, while shooting 52 percent from the field.

Easley, a 6-1 junior guard from Norfolk, Va., earned Conference Carolinas Player of the Year honors, leading Conference Carolinas in scoring at 21 points a game. He also shot 44 percent from 3-point range and 85 percent from the free throw line.

Moore, a 6-3 junior guard from Gainesville, Fla., was selected as the South Atlantic Region Player of the Year, leading the SAC in scoring at 21 points a game. He helped pace the Pioneers to the SAC Tournament championship game and a berth in the NCAA Division II National Tournament.