Schneiders Named To A-Sun Preseason All-Conference Team
10/7/2009 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
Oct. 7, 2009
2009-10 A-Sun Preseason Release
Spartanburg, S.C. - USC Upstate 7-3 senior center Nick Schneiders has been selected to the 2009-10 A-Sun Preseason All-Conference team as voted by the league's coaches, while the Spartans have been picked to finish 10th in both the preseason coaches' and media polls, released the A-Sun Wednesday.
Schneiders, from Rietberg, Germany, is the first Upstate men's basketball player to earn preseason all-conference honors since joining the A-Sun in 2007. He averaged 9.5 points, 6.1 rebounds and led the league with 2.6 blocks per game last season in leading the Spartans to its highest win total overall and in conference play in its two seasons in Division I. His improvement from year-to-year since joining the program has been tremendous. As a redshirt freshman in 2006-07, he averaged 2.1 points and 2.4 rebounds per game in just 8.8 minutes a contest in his second full year playing organized basketball. He increased those averages to 4.9 points and 4.8 rebounds per outing as a sophomore in 2007-08, Upstate's first year playing on the Division I level. He also spent more time on the court, averaging 18.3 minutes per game. He had a breakout year last year, finishing second on the team in scoring and rebounding while giving Upstate a legitimate threat in the middle on both ends of the court. He finished the year having scored in double figures 15 times. He broke Upstate's single-season record with 79 blocked shots and stands second all-time with 117, just 19 shy of the mark held by Kevin Harrington (136, 2000-04).
"It's nice for Nick to be recognized by the rival coaches in the league," said Upstate head coach Eddie Payne, now in his eighth season at the helm of the Upstate men's basketball program and celebrating his 25th year as a head coach overall. "He has made steady progress throughout the years here. He and his coaching staff are looking for great things this year."
Upstate was picked to finish 10th in both the coaches' and media polls. Upstate improved its overall win total by two games and its conference win total by three games from 2007-08 to 2008-09. Despite the improvement, Upstate will be playing without the services of Bobby Davis who was the Spartans' go-to player in nearly every situation last season. Upstate ended the 2008-09 season with a 9-21 overall record and an 8-12 mark in the A-Sun. The Spartans lost five conference games by six points or less last year.
Jacksonville, with five first-place votes, and Lipscomb, with four first-place votes, tied for the top spot in the coaches' poll with 111 points. Mercer earned one first-place vote and was picked third with 91 points. East Tennessee State was picked fourth with one first-place vote and 89 points and was followed by Belmont (83), Campbell (72), Florida Gulf Coast (43), Stetson (43), North Florida (30), Upstate (28) and Kennesaw State (25). Lipscomb was picked as the favorite to win the A-Sun Tournament.
Jacksonville earned 24 first-place votes and 328 points to take the top spot in the media poll. Lipscomb was second with three first-place votes and 287 points and was followed by Mercer (254, 2 first-place votes), Belmont (252, 1 first-place vote), East Tennessee State (247, 1 first-place vote), Campbell (193), Stetson (127), Florida Gulf Coast (119), Kennesaw State (87), Upstate (81) and North Florida (71).
Jacksonville's Ben Smith was picked as the preseason A-Sun Player of the Year. The senior averaged 16.9 points, 4.0 assists and 2.2 steals per game a year ago. Joining him and Schneiders on the preseason all-conference team by Lehmon Colbert (Jacksonville), Daniel Emerson (Mercer), James Florence (Mercer), Ayron Hardy (Jacksonville), Adnan Hodzic (Lipscomb), Jonathan Rodriguez (Campbell), A.J. Smith (Stetson) and Mike Smith (ETSU).
