Jeremy Black Named SSC Player of the Year

ORLANDO, Fla. - Jeremy Black grabbed top honors as the Sunshine state Conference named its 2007-08 all-conference men's basketball team. The SSC Player of the Year was joined three teammates who were also honored.

Johnathan Ball was named the Defensive player of the year while Chris Evans was named second team all-SSC. Rashad Callaway was also chosen to the all-freshman team.

A senior from Tampa, Black has been impressive in his final season for the Spartans. Black ranks second in the SSC with an average of 18.4 points per game and leads the conference with 10.7 rebounds per contest. His rebounding average also ranks eighth in NCAA Division II. Having registered 14 double-doubles, Black has scored at least 20 points 11 times this season, including a pair of 30-point outings against Valdosta State (30) and Eckerd (37). In a win over Rollins on Feb. 2, Black amassed 29 points and 20 rebounds. He also tallied 19 points and 19 boards in a win over Florida Tech on Feb. 9.

Ball, a guard from Tampa, anchors a Tampa defense that ranks second in the SSC with a +0.73 turnover margin. A junior, he is fourth in the conference with an average of 1.6 steals per game. Additionally, Ball contributes 13.8 points and 3.5 rebounds per contest for the Spartans.

Evans returns to the all-conference list after being a first-teamer as a freshman. This season, he ranks third on the team in scoring (13.1 ppg) and second in rebounds (8.5). His 56 three pointers and 61 blocked shots also rank first on the team.

Callaway, a freshman from Bayonne, N.J., has made a name for himself as a clutch player. While hitting the game-winning basket in the initial meeting with SSC champion Florida Southern, Callaway also scored 12 points in the final two minutes against Eckerd while his three-pointer against Rollins sent the SSC Quarterfinal to overtime. He is averaging 11.7 points along with a team high 111 assists as a freshman.

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2007-08 ALL-SUNSHINE STATE CONFERENCE MEN'S BASKETBALL TEAM
FIRST TEAM
Jeremy Black, Tampa, Senior
Rob Eldridge, Florida Southern, Junior
Carl McNally, Florida Tech, Senior
Damone Morris, Eckerd, Senior
Jonny Reibel, Rollins, Senior

Player of the Year - Jeremy Black, Tampa
Defensive Player of the Year - Johnathan Ball, Tampa
Freshman of the Year - Rion Rayfield, Florida Southern
Coach of the Year - Linc Darner, Florida Southern

SECOND TEAM
Tim Coenraad, Nova Southeastern, Junior
Chris Evans, Tampa, Senior
Jordan Prais, Saint Leo, Sophomore
Hans Schur, Lynn, Senior
Justin Sedlak, Florida Tech, Sophomore

ALL-FRESHMAN TEAM
Rashad Callaway, Tampa
Chris Hall, Lynn
Brandon Jenkins, Florida Southern
Rion Rayfield, Florida Southern
Jeremy Sharpe, Rollins
Nick Wolf, Rollins