STEPHENVILLE, Texas -- Tarleton State basketball forward Danny Jones continues to be rewarded for his fantastic junior season as he was named Wednesday as a third-team selection on the Division II Bulletin All-America teams.
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This marks Jones' fourth All-America honor of the year as he already has been tabbed a second team Daktronics Division II All-America selection, a third-team pick on the National Association of Basketball Coaches/Pontiac All-America teams and a third-team All-America selection by Basketball Times.
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Jones, a 6-7 junior from Birmingham, Ala., ranked as the nation's top rebounder in Division II with 12.6 boards per game, plus he ranked second on Tarleton's squad with 15.1 points per outing. He also led Division II with 23 double-doubles this season in leading the Texans to their first-ever NCAA national tournament appearance.
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In addition to the four All-America selections, other honors for Jones this year includeLone Star Conference South Division Player of the Year, first team All-LSC South, first team Daktronics All-South Central Region, first team NABC All-District and All-LSC Tournament. He was a two-time LSC South Player of the Week choice.
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Jones was a major reason that Tarleton finished the 2001-02 season with a 25-8 overall record. He helped the Texans become LSC South Division champions and LSC Tournament runners-up, in addition to qualifying for their first-ever trip to the NCAA Division II Men's Basketball Championship. Tarleton's best season in more than a decade ended on March 9 when the Texans lost 72-59 to Incarnate Word in a first-round game at the South Central Regional.
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Seven Tarleton players had earned men's basketball All-America accolades prior to this season -- all of which came from 1990 to 1995 at the NAIA Division II level -- but Jones is the first player to gain national praise since the Texans stepped up to NCAA competition in 1996. He also is the first consensus All-America player in the history of Tarleton basketball.
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Division II Bulletin All-America Teams for NCAA Division II
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First Team
Jerome Beasley, North Dakota
Ronald Evans, Kentucky Wesleyan
Malik Moore, American International
Ronald Murray, Shaw
Kenny Tate, Edinboro
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Second Team
Niki Arinze, Henderson State
Tyrus Boswell, Kentucky Wesleyan
Ramel Curry, Cal State Bakersfield
Patrick Mutombo, Metropolitan State
Eddin Santiago, Missouri Southern
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Third Team
Jon Brown, Tampa
Lorinza Harrington, Wingate
Danny Jones, Tarleton State
Wykeen Kelly, Salem International
Lamont Turner, Missouri Western
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Fourth Team
Matt Cameron, Michigan Tech
Fred Hooks, Humboldt State
Byron Johnson, Belmont Abbey
Ronald Johnson, Cal State Los Angeles
Jim Reeves, Philadelphia