March 2, 2005
NEW ORLEANS - University of Denver junior center Yemi Nicholson (Denver, Colo.) and head men's basketball coach Terry Carroll were named the 2005 Sun Belt Conference Coach and Player of the Year it was announced by the league. The teams were voted on by Sun Belt school head coaches as well as a selected media panel, and will be presented this weekend at the 2005 Aéropostale Sun Belt Conference Men's and Women's Basketball Championships in Denton, Texas.
Nicholson is one of the most improved players in the country. The 6-10 post player, who averaged 7.5 points per game and 4.3 rebounds per game as a sophomore, is putting up 18.7 points (third in the league), 8.7 boards (second) and is the only player in the league averaging more than three blocks per contest. In Sun Belt-only games, Nicholson averaged 21.2 points and 9.7 rebounds and 4 blocks per contest.
He helped lead the Pioneers, who were picked to finish last in the West Division according to a preseason coaches poll, to their first ever Sun Belt West Division title.
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.
Senior guard Rodney Billups (Denver, Colo.) was also rewarded for his stellar play this season, as he was named to the All-SBC Third Team. Billups is currently ranked 11th in the nation and first in the SBC in assists. His 15 assists against Louisiana-Lafayette on Feb 6, is the fourth-best single-game performance in the nation.
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 Friday, March 4 at 4:30 p.m. MT.
