Ohio Valley Conference

Samford's J. Robert Merritt

EIU's Mike Robinson

MSU's Mick Cronin

COMPLETE RELEASE

BRENTWOOD, Tenn. -- Samford senior forward J. Robert Merritt was chosen as the 2005-06 Ohio Valley Conference men's basketball Player of the Year award in voting by the league's head coaches and sports information directors.

The Conference's other top honors went to Eastern Illinois guard Mike Robinson as the OVC Freshman of the Year and Murray State's Mick Cronin as OVC Coach of the Year.

Merritt led Samford in scoring (17.3 ppg) and rebounding (5.0 rpg) for the second consecutive season while helping guide Samford to a 19-10 overall record and a second-place OVC finish at 14-6, marking the team's best effort since joining the OVC three years ago. One of the nation's top perimeter threats, Merritt leads the league in 3-point field goal shooting (48.4%) and average (3.76 pg), ranking fourth and sixth nationally, in those respective categories. One of four OVC players to log more than 1,000 minutes of action this season (37.24 mpg), the 6-foot-6 forward has registered 24 double-digit scoring efforts to also rank among league leaders in scoring and overall field goal shooting percentage (47.3%). Merritt, who boasts a streak of 63 consecutive games with at least one three-pointer, has re-set his own single-season school record for made three-pointers with 109 in 2005-06, putting him just three shy of the OVC record of 112. Overall, the Oklahoma City, Okla., native has amassed 300 treys throughout his stellar four-year career, 252 of which have come in the three seasons since Samford joined the league, ranking him fifth all-time in the Conference. Merritt, the first Bulldog to receive an individual men's basketball award, is the lone repeat selection as a first team All-OVC member in 2005-06, this time receiving a unanimous vote.

Robinson had a solid rookie campaign, handling point guard duties while starting all 27 games as a true freshman. The 5-foot-11 native of Chicago, Ill., was the only freshman to rank among league leaders in assists and steals, dishing out a team-high 115 helpers while grabbing 53 steals. He tied for second on the squad with 33 three-pointers and was the Panthers' second-leading scorer with a 9.6 average, collecting one double-double while posting 13 twin-digit scoring efforts overall. Robinson is the second consecutive EIU player to receive OVC Freshman of the Year accolades, joining teammate George Tandy, who earned the honor a year ago.

Cronin picks up his first OVC Coach of the Year award after guiding his squad to a league-record 17 Conference victories en route to its 20th OVC regular-season title. The Racers have won 17 of their last 19 games and are 22-6 overall, marking their second 20-win campaign in three years under Cronin. In addtion to leading the league and ranking among national leaders in assists (16.39 apg) and turnover margin (+2.43), the Racers sport the OVC's top numbers for both 3-point (30.6%) and overall (39.7%) field goal percentage defense, as well as scoring (+10.1) and rebounding (+2.7) margin and blocked shots (4.96 bpg). Murray State also boasts one of the lowest turnover averages in all of Division I men's basketball, committing just 12.3 per game.


ALL-OVC TEAMS
Due to a tie in the balloting, six players have been named to the All-OVC first team. Joining Merritt is junior forward Shawn Witherspoon of Murray State; senior guard/forward Jared Newson of UT Martin; senior center Zac Schlader of Austin Peay; senior guard Jason McLeish of Eastern Kentucky and senior guard Walker D. Russell of Jacksonville State.

Witherspoon is tied for second among Conference rebounding leaders with a team-high 7.7 average on the glass to go with his team-best 10.7 scoring average. The 6-foot-5 forward also boasts the league's top assist/turnover ratio (2.39) while ranking fourth in steals (49) and 10th in assists (91). A native of Oviedo, Fla., Witherspoon has started all 28 games, collecting six double-doubles over the course of the year and scoring in twin figures on 16 occasions.

Newson has netted double figures in 27 of 28 contests this season, registering thirteen 20-point efforts to rank second in the Conference with an 18.8 scoring average. The 6-foot-5 forward is also fifth in the league in rebounding (6.6 rpg), fifth in steals (48), ninth in field goal shooting percentage (45.3%) and 10th in free throw shooting percentage (70.9%). A product of Belleville, Ill., Newson has four double-doubles to his credit this season and sports a 12-game streak of double-digit scoring performances. He is the only UT Martin player to start all 28 games in 2005-06, averaging 35 minutes of action each time out.

Schlader has logged the most minutes of any OVC player this season (1,090), starting all 29 games in which he has played and averaging 36.3 minutes per outing. The 6-foot-9 center has recorded two double-doubles in 2005-06 while reaching twin figures in points in 27 games to rank 13th in the OVC with a 14.4 scoring average. A native of Columbia, Mo., Schlader is also fifth in the league in field goal shooting percentage (50.5%), ninth in free throw shooting (73.6%), 14th in rebounding (5.1 rpg) and tied for eighth in blocked shots (21).

McLeish has registered double digits in points in 27 of 29 contests this season to rank fourth in the league with a 17.8 scoring average. The 6-foot-0 guard also ranks fourth in the OVC in free throw shooting percentage (80.8%), sixth in overall field goal shooting (49.7%) and 10th in trey average (1.97 pg). The product of Queens, N.Y., has started all 28 games in which he as played this season, topping the 20-point plateau in 11 of those contests.

Russell moves up to the first team after receiving a second team All-OVC nod a year ago. The 6-foot-0 guard will finish his career ranked among the league's all-time assists leaders after boasting the Conference's top number of handouts for the third consecutive season (192). A native of Pontiac, Mich., Russell has recorded twin figures in points 22 times this season, including eight consecutive games, to rank 14th in the league with a 14.0 scoring average. He also boasts the OVC's top free throw conversion rate (89.6%) while ranking sixth in assist/turnover ratio (1.7) and tied for ninth in steals (42).

Another tie in balloting resulted in six players receiving spots on the All-OVC second team: senior guard Matt Witt of Eastern Kentucky; junior forward Clarence Matthews of Tennessee State; senior guard Maurice Hampton of Austin Peay; senior forward Kareem Grant of Tennessee State; senior guard Roy Booker of Southeast Missouri and senior guard Milone Clark of Tennessee Tech.

In addtion, five individuals were chosen for the OVC All-Newcomer team. Joining Matthews and Booker on the all-newcomer squad were junior forward Courtney Bradley of Jacksonville State; sophomore guard Belton Rivers of Tennessee Tech and junior forward Shaun Williams of Morehead State.

2005-06 All-Ohio Valley Conference Men's Basketball Teams
(as voted on by the league's head basketball coaches and sports information directors)
ALL-OVC FIRST TEAM
J. Robert Merritt, Samford* - F, Sr., 6-6, 220 - Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
Shawn Witherspoon, Murray State - F, Jr., 6-5, 208 - Oviedo, Florida
Jared Newson, UT Martin - F, Sr., 6-5, 215 - Belleville, Illinois
Zac Schlader, Austin Peay - C, Sr., 6-9, 220 - Columbia, Missouri
Jason McLeish, Eastern Kentucky - G, Sr., 6-0, 165 - Queens, New York
Walker D. Russell, Jacksonville State# - G, Sr., 6-0, 170 - Pontiac, Michigan

Note: Due to ties, six players were chosen to the All-OVC first team


ALL-OVC SECOND TEAM
Matt Witt, Eastern Kentucky - G, Sr., 6-0, 180 - Tipp City, Ohio
Clarence Matthews, Tennessee State - F, Jr., 6-7, 250 - Beaumont, Texas
Maurice Hampton, Austin Peay - G, Sr., 6-2, 180 - Russellville, Kentucky
Kareem Grant, Tennessee State - F, Sr., 6-6, 190 - Middletown, Connecticut
Roy Booker, Southeast Missouri - G, Sr., 6-3, 205 - Portageville, Missouri
Milone Clark, Tennessee Tech - G, Sr., 6-4, 215 - Gibson, North Carolina

Note: Due to ties, six players were chosen to the All-OVC second team


ALL-NEWCOMER TEAM
Courtney Bradley, Jacksonville State - F, Jr., 6-5, 215 - Utica, Mississippi
Roy Booker, Southeast Missouri - G, Sr., 6-3, 205 - Portageville, Missouri
Clarence Matthews, Tennessee State - F, Jr., 6-7, 250 - Beaumont, Texas
Belton Rivers, Tennessee Tech - G, So., 6-4, 205 - Atlanta, Georgia
Shaun Williams, Morehead State - F, Jr., 6-6, 225 - Irvington, New Jersey


OVC Player of the Year: J. Robert Merritt, Samford

OVC Coach of the Year: Mick Cronin, Murray State

OVC Freshman of the Year: Mike Robinson, Eastern Illinois


* - All-OVC 1st Team in 2004-05
# - All-OVC 2nd Team in 2004-05