Augusta State’s Siler, Madgen and USC-Aiken’s Commons Earn National Honors

AUGUSTA, Ga. – The Augusta State duo of Garret Siler and Ben Madgen, as well as USC-Aiken senior Chris Commons, earned more All-America honors recently when both were named to the Division II Bulletin All-America squad.

The All-America selections are the third of the 2008-09 season for each player. With the selections, the duo becomes the eighth and ninth All-America selections for the ASU men’s basketball program over the last three seasons as well as the sixth and seventh different players in school history to earn national accolades.

ASU was the only program in the nation to garner multiple All-America honors in the same season. The Peach Belt Conference totaled three All-America selections with the selection of USC Aiken’s Chris Commons.

A 7-0, 291-pound senior center from Augusta, Ga., Siler was tabbed to the Division II Bulletin fourth team. He led the nation in field goal percentage for the third consecutive season (.795) and ranked ninth in the nation in blocked shots at 2.7 bpg. On the season, he’s averaging 16.4 points and 7.8 rebounds and was tabbed the NCAA Southeast Regional’s Most Outstanding Player after leading ASU to the regional title in an 85-57 victory over USC Aiken in Christenberry Fieldhouse on Tuesday, March 17.

The only player in the PBC to rank in the top five in scoring, rebounding, field goal percentage and blocked shots, Siler has scored in double figures in 21 consecutive games and registered 20 or more points nine times. He has booked a team-best nine double-doubles and led ASU in scoring on 12 occasions. He currently ranks eighth in school history and PBC history with 1,573 points after 25-point effort in Southeast Re­gional Championship game victory over USC Aiken.

Madgen, a 6-4, 185-pound junior guard from Williamstown, Australia, was named to the Honorable Mention squad. The 2009 Daktronics Southeast Region Player-of-the-Year, Madgen was also selected first team All-Southeast Region and was a first-team All-Peach Belt Conference pick. He was named to NCAA Southeast Regional All-Tourna­ment team after leading the Jaguars to the Southeast itle on March 17. He was also voted the Peach Belt Conference Tournament’s Most Valuable Player after leading ASU to the PBC Tournament Championship on March 8.

The league scoring champion at 19.1 ppg., Madgen also led the PBC in three-point percentage (.462), ranked second in free throw percentage (.869), third in minutes played (33.06) and fourth in 3-point field goals made (2.39). He was the only player in the conference to rank in the top 15 in scoring, field goal percentage (12th/.499) and assists (14th/2.85). With 25 points vs. No. 16 USC Aiken in the Southeast Regional Championship game, he moved into fifth place on the ASU career scoring list with 1,642 points and into sixth place on the PBC career scoring list.

He led ASU in scoring on 16 occasions, registered 20 or more points 14 times and cracked the 30-point barrier twice, including a career-high 33 points vs. USC Aiken on Jan. 5.

The duo led the Jags to the winningest season in school history at 30-5 as they earned their second consecutive trip to the NCAA Tournament’s Elite Eight in Springfield, Mass. ASU advanced to the Final Four before bowing out to national runnerup Cal Poly Pomona.

2009 DIVISION II BULLETIN ALL-AMERICA TEAM

First Team

Josh Bostic, Findlay

Chris Commons, USC Aiken

Matt Rogers, Southwest Baptist

Larry Gordon, Cal Poly Pomona

Kevin Rarzsch, Northern State

Second Team

Laurence Ekperigan, LeMoyne

Ted Scott, West Virginia State

Anthony Hilliard, Elizabeth City State

Aaron Hill, Rockhurst

Jesse Wagstaff, Metro State

Third Team

Jonathan Schmidt, C.W. Post

Kendrick Easley, Mount Olive

Lucas Alves, BYU-Hawaii

Nick Kohs, Christian Brothers

Nolan Richardson, Midwestern State

Fourth Team

GARRET SILER, AUGUSTA STATE

Ira Graham, Western Washington

Dave Ben, Kutztown

Kyle Moore, Tusculum

Jason Westrol, Bentley

Honorable Mention

Brandon Brown, Cal State San Bernardino

Denell Stephens, Slippery Rock

Lance Harper, Central Oklahoma

Tyrone Curnell, Valdosta State

Nick Wolf, Rollins

Lew Finnegan, Bentley

Joe Jones, Edinboro

Darren Duncan, Merrimack

BEN MADGEN, AUGUSTA STATE

Ross Demasi, Southwest Minnesota State

Kenny Johnson, North Alabama

Omari Knox, Bloomfield

Kenneth Boyd, Morehouse.

Tim VanOudheusden, Lake Superior State

Jake Linton, St. Martin’s

Pierce Caldwell, Incarnate Word

Hunter Henry, Northwest Missouri

Roman Andrade, New Mexico Highlands

Kenny Barker, Alaska Anchorage

Stan Hall, Alderson-Broaddus

Marcus Tillis, Pitt-Johnstown

Thad McFadden, Fairmont State

LaVontay Fenderson, Wisconsin Parkside

Travis Nelson, Minnesota State

Chris Hall, Lynn

Jamar Smith. Southern Indiana

Sanijay Watts, Central Missouri

Brandon Dagans, Lewis

Thomas Fraise, North Alabama

Drake Beranek, Nebraska-Kearney