Wingate’s Sean Barnette To Play In Division II All-Star Game

INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. -- The NCAA Division II Men's Basketball Committee announces the 20 student-athletes and two coaches for the third annual NABC/NCAA Division II All-Star Game to be held Friday, March 28 at the Naismith Memorial Hall of Fame in Springfield, Massachusetts. Friday's tip-off is slated for 7 p.m. EDT.

Wingate University senior forward/guard Sean Barnette (Rock Hill, S.C.) is one of 10 student-athletes named to the East All-Star team. A 2007 Daktronics All-American third team member, Barnette and Wingate head coach Parker Laketa will journey to Springfield Thursday for the festivities.

The All-Star Game will match an East All-Star team (with 10 student-athletes from the NCAA East, Northeast, South and South Atlantic regions) against a West All-Star team (with 10 student-athletes from the NCAA Great Lakes, North Central, South Central and West regions).

On Thursday afternoon, Barnette and the All-Stars will participate in a practice session. During Thursday evening, the 20 student-athletes will watch the two NCAA Division II basketball championship semi-final games at the MassMutual Center in Springfield.

On Friday, the NCAA will sponsor a youth basketball clinic at 4:30 p.m. The NABC/NCAA Division II All-Star Game follows Friday evening at 7 p.m.

The NCAA Division II men's basketball championship game is slated for Saturday at the MassMutual Center in Springfield. Tip-off is scheduled for 2:30 p.m. Barnette and Laketa will return to Wingate Sunday morning.

Earlier this month, Barnette was named to the Daktronics All-South Atlantic Region first team for the second year in a row. In addition, Barnette was selected the 2008 South Atlantic Region Co-Player of the Year by Daktronics. He shared this honor with junior guard Anthony Hilliard from Elizabeth City State University. Also, the National Association of Basketball Coaches (NABC) picked Barnette for their All-South Atlantic Region first team.

The South Atlantic Conference Player of the Year for the second consecutive season, Barnette concludes his career as the all-time leading scorer in SAC history with 2,324 points. He is the only male player in SAC history to score 2,000+ points. Barnette and his teammates compiled a 24-7 overall record in 2007-08, sharing the SAC regular season title with Lenoir-Rhyne.

During his senior campaign, Barnette led the Bulldogs and the SAC with 21.2 points and 9.8 rebounds per game. On the NCAA charts, he is seventh in points per game and 17th in rebounds per game. The 2007 South Atlantic Conference Male Athlete of the Year, Barnette averaged a double-double (21.2 points and 10.5 rebounds per game) in conference games this year.

Barnette has 35 career double-doubles, including 18 this season. The Northwestern High School graduate scored in double figures in 70 consecutive games to finish his career. In 2007, Barnette was named to the ESPN The Magazine Academic All-District III men's basketball first team (college division).

The Bulldog men's basketball team made the best run in SAC men's basketball history in 2006-07. Wingate (25-9 overall, 11-5 SAC in 2006-07) won the Food Lion SAC Tournament for the second consecutive season in 2007. The Bulldogs took the 2007 South Atlantic Regional title on their way to becoming the first SAC men's basketball team to participate in an NCAA Division II Elite Eight event.

Barnette will be in good company Friday, as his nine teammates bring very impressive credentials to the All-Star game. In addition to Barnette, the student-athletes and coaches selected to participate are:

East All-Star Team

Jeremy Black, Tampa (Fla.) - The Sunshine State Conference and South Region Player of the Year, Black concluded his Spartan ranked fifth in the nation with 11 rebounds per game. He also averages 18.7 points per game.
Brad Byerson, Virginia Union - Byerson ranks 35th in the nation this season with his 57 percent field goal percentage. He averages 16.8 points per game.
Steve Dagostino, Saint Rose (N.Y.) - Dagostino ranks eighth in the country with an 88.8 free throw percentage. He is 14th in the nation in steals per game with 2.5.
Corey Diethorn, Assumption (Mass.) - Diethorn ranks 19th in the nation with 2.3 blocked shots per game. He also averages 14.6 points per game.
Chris Gilliam, Pittsburgh-Johnstown - Gilliam ranks 12th in the nation in field goal percentage (64.1 percent) and averages 19.6 points per game.
Charlie Parker, Millersville (Pa.) - Parker ranks ninth in the nation this year in average steals per game (2.7) and averages 16.1 points per game.
Jonny Reibel, Rollins (Fla.) - Reibel ranks fifth in the nation in assists per game (7.2) and 20th in the nation in points per game average (20.0).
Michael Sturns, Holy Family (Pa.) - The Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference player of the year, Sturns leads the nation in points per game with an average of 26.6. On February 2 at NYIT, Sturns scored a HFU school record 51 points.
Ryan Williams, Pace (N.Y.) - Williams ranks 15th in the nation in three-point field goals per game (3.2) and 24th in the nation with 19.6 points per game.
Vincent Alexander (coach), USC Aiken - Coach Alexander finished the season with a record of 27-4 overall and a perfect 10-0 in Peach Belt Conference play. The Pacers were awarded the top seed for the eight-team NCAA Division II South Atlantic Regional.

West All-Star Team
Cory Abercrombie, Pittsburg State (Kan.)
David Dreas, St. Cloud State (Minn.)
Jeff Fahnbulleh, Kentucky Wesleyan
Robert Lee, West Texas A&M
Vince Mosley, Gannon (Pa.)
Avery Patterson, Tarleton State (Texas)
Devin Peal, Humboldt State (Calif.)
Paul Peterson, BYU Hawaii
Marlon Pierce, California State, San Bernardino
Atila Santos, Minnesota State, Mankato
Bill Treseler (coach), San Francisco State