March 1, 2005

DENVER - University of Denver head men's basketball coach Terry Carroll and junior center Yemi Nicholson (Denver, Colo.) were named the 2005 Sun Belt Conference Coach and Player of the Year, announced today by CollegeInsider.com.

Terry Carroll was named the 30th head men's basketball coach at the University of Denver on April 3, 2001. In Carroll's fourth year, he led Denver to its third consecutive winning season and its first SBC Regular Season Championship. Carroll was victorious in his 100th game as Denver's head coach on Thursday, Jan. 13. He has amassed a 57-57 (.500) record during his four seasons at Denver. After an 8-20 mark his first year, the Iowa native has gone 49-37 (.570) during the last three seasons. Carroll is ranked seventh all-time in wins at Denver.

Nicholson earned National Association of Basketball Coaches All-District 13 Second Team, CollegeInsider.com Star of the Week (Feb. 7) and SBC Player of the Week three times on Jan. 25, Feb. 7 and Feb. 14 already this season. The junior recorded 11 double-doubles, registering 10-plus points 25 times, 15-plus points 17 times, 20-plus points 13 times and 30-plus points three times. He scored a career-high 34 points against New Mexico State on Feb. 3 and pulled a career-best 18 rebounds at Kansas State. Nicholson also blocked a school-record nine shots in Denver's regular-season finale versus New Orleans on Feb. 26.

The Pioneers earned their first ever SBC Regular Season Championship, finishing the season with a 12-3 record, the best in either division. The Pioneers' 18 wins are the most since the 1995-96 season (Division II). Denver returned to the Division I level in 1998 and joined the SBC in 1999.

The Pioneers will begin SBC Tournament play on Saturday, March 5 at 7 p.m. MT in Denton, Texas. Denver will play the winner of the No. 5 West (North Texas) versus No. 4 East (Arkansas State) game, which will commence on Monday, Feb. 28 at 4:30 p.m. MT.