Taylor earns a pair of All-America awards

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University of Southern Indiana senior guard/forward Jeril Taylor (Louisville, Kentucky) was named All-American by the National Association of Basketball Coaches and Basketball Times in releases today. The All-America awards are the first for Taylor, who becomes the 22nd Screaming Eagle in USI men’s basketball history to earn the honor.

Taylor, who also was named Great Lakes Valley Conference Player of the Year and first-team All-GLVC this season, shined for the Eagles in 2016-17. He led the team for the second-straight season in scoring and rebounding, averaging 19.6 points and 8.3 rebounds per contest. The senior also set a USI single-game record for scoring with 50 points in the road win at Truman State University and became the 19thUSI player to reach 1,000 career points.

In addition to the post-season conference awards, Taylor was named All-Midwest Region by the NABC and the Division II Conference Commissioner’s Association; the Division II Bulletin Player of the Month (January); the GLVC Player of the Week four times; and the Small College Basketball Hall of Fame Classic Most Valuable Player.

USI finished the 2016-17 campaign with a 25-5 overall record and ranked 16th nationally after bowing out of the NCAA Division II Tournament in the Midwest Regional. The Eagles also finished second in the GLVC East Division with a 15-3 conference mark.

 

2017 NABC COACHES’ DIVISION II ALL-AMERICA TEAM

Matt Bingaya, Fairmont State, 6-4, Senior, Forward/Guard, Delaware, Ohio 

Joshua Blaylock, Fort Lewis, 6-2, Senior, Guard, Lancaster, Calif.

Luquon Choice, Lincoln Memorial, 6-3, Senior, Guard, Laurens, S.C.

Devin Gilligan, Southern New Hampshire, 6-5, Senior, Forward, Amherst, N.H.

Zach Hankins, Ferris State, 6-10, Sophomore, Post, Charlevoix, Mich.

Jeremiah Hill, Valdosta State, 6-2, Senior, Guard, Savannah, Ga.

Aaron Lien, MSU Moorhead, 6-4, Senior, Guard, Moorhead, Minn.

Justin Pitts, Northwest Missouri State, 5-9, Junior, Guard, Blue Springs, Mo.

Justin Reyes, St. Thomas Aquinas, 6-4, Junior, Guard/Forward, Haverhill, Mass.

Devin Schmidt, Delta State, 6-4, Senior, Guard, Sevierville, Tenn.

Keshun Sherrill, Augusta, 5-9, Senior, Guard, Cleveland, N.C.

Dustin Sleva, Shippensburg, 6-8, Junior, Forward, Pittsburgh, Pa.

Michael Smith, California Baptist, 6-4, Senior, Guard, South San Francisco, Calif.

Taylor Stafford, Western Washington, 6-1, Senior, Guard, Chicago, Ill.

Jeril Taylor, Southern Indiana, 6-4, Senior, Guard, Louisville, Ky.

Seth Youngblood, Arkansas-Fort Smith, 6-1, Senior, Guard, Roland, Okla.

 

Basketball Times  NCAA Division II All-Americans

Justin Pitts, Northwest Missouri State – Player of the Year

Jerrod Calhoun, Fairmont State (W. Va.) – Coach of the Year

First Team

Name, School Ht. Yr.

Matt Bingaya, Fairmont State (W. Va.) 6-7 Sr.

Justin Pitts, Northwest Missouri State 5-9 Jr.

Justin Reyes, St. Thomas Aquinas (NY) 6-4 Jr.

Michael Smith, Cal Baptist 6-4 Sr.

Taylor Stafford, Western Washington 6-1 Sr.

 

Second Team

Daeshon Francis, Permian Basin (Tex.) 6-3 Jr.

Braxton Reeves, East Central (Okla.) 6-4 Sr.

Devin Schmidt, Delta State (Miss.) 6-4 Sr.

Dustin Sleva, Shippensburg (Pa.) 6-8 Jr.

Jeril Taylor, Southern Indiana 6-4 Sr.

 

Third Team

A.J. Clark, Pfeiffer (N.C.) 5-10 Sr.

Charles Clark, Carson-Newman (Tenn.) 6-2 Jr.

Jeremiah Hill, Valdosta State (Ga.) 6-2 Sr.

Devin Gilligan, Southern New Hampshire 6-5 Sr.

Dan Monteroso, West Liberty (W. Va.) 6-3 Jr.

 

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