Nicholson Named Sun Belt Defensive Player of the Year
3/1/2006 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
March 1, 2006
MURFREESBORO, Tenn. - University of Denver senior center Yemi Nicholson (Aurora, Colo.) was named the 2006 Sun Belt Conference Defensive Player of the Year it was announced by the league office. Nicholson also earned All-SBC First Team accolades. The specialty awards and all-conference teams were voted on by Sun Belt head coaches as well as a selected media panel, and will be presented this week at the 2006 Aéropostale Sun Belt Conference Men and Women's Basketball Championships in Murfreesboro, Tenn.
Nicholson, who led Denver to a second-place finish in the Sun Belt's West Division, became the first player in the 30-year history of the SBC to earn Player of the Week honor four times in a single season. The 2005-06 SBC Preseason Player of the Year was also named the TOWC Most Valuable Player and earned National Association of Basketball Coaches All-District 13 First Team honors.
The senior averaged a league-best 19.8 points to go along with 11.1 rebounds and 2.7 blocks per game. He recorded 15 double-doubles and had one 30-point, 15-rebound game and seven 20-point, 15-rebound games. Nicholson scored 30-plus points three times, 20-plus points 15 times, 15-plus points 22 times and 10-plus points 27 times. He grabbed 10-plus rebounds 16 times.
He is the only player in the country who is ranked in the top 28 in scoring (28), rebounding (5), field-goal percentage (21) and blocks (19).
Nicholson and the rest of the Pioneers travel to Murfreesboro, Tenn. for the 2006 Sun Belt Conference Championship hosted by Middle Tennessee. Denver's first game will be on Sun., March 5 at 11 a.m. MT. DU is the No. 3 West Seed and will play East No. 2 Middle Tennessee.
2005-06 ALL-SUN BELT CONFERENCE MEN'S BASKETBALL TEAM 1ST TEAM POS YR SCHOOL Bobby Dixon G Sr. Troy Courtney Lee G/F So. Western Kentucky Dwayne Mitchell G Sr. Louisiana-Lafayette Yemi Nicholson C Sr. Denver Anthony Winchester G Sr. Western Kentucky 2ND TEAM Ivan Almonte F Sr. Florida International Kendrick Davis G Jr. North Texas Mario Jointer G Sr. South Alabama Michael Southall C Sr. Louisiana-Lafayette Dereke Tipler G Sr. Arkansas State 3RD TEAM Rashad Jones-Jennings F Jr. Arkansas-Little Rock Richard Law F Sr. South Alabama Jaime McNeilly G Jr. New Orleans Zack Wright G Sr. Arkansas-Little Rock Adam Vogelsberg G Jr. Middle TennesseePLAYER OF THE YEAR: Anthony Winchester, Western Kentucky DEF. PLAYER OF THE YEAR: Yemi Nicholson, Denver NEWCOMER OF THE YEAR: Kendrick Davis, North Texas FRESHMAN OF THE YEAR: Lekheythan Malone, UALR COACH OF THE YEAR: John Pelphrey, South Alabama
