Will Saunders named 2nd Team All-Big South Conference; Harper & Gombwer earn Honorable Mention & All-Academic honors
3/2/2015 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
CHARLOTTE, N.C. – Charleston Southern senior forward Will Saunders has been named to the Big South's All-Conference Second-Team, the league office announced on Monday. Saunders continued to shine as one of the top three-point shooters in the country, and was CSU's second leading scorer and rebounder, in helping lead the Bucs to a share of the Big South regular season championship.
Complete 2014-15 Big South Men's Basketball Award Winners
2015 VisitMyrtleBeach.com Big South Men's Basketball Championship Bracket
Fellow senior Arlon Harper earned Honorable Mention All-Conference accolades, while Paul Gombwer was selected to the All-Academic Team.
Saunders averaged 13.1 points and 6.0 rebounds per game overall, and made 89 three-pointers at a 41 percent clip. The 6-7 forward from London, England ranks 10th nationally in made threes per game (3.18) and sunk three or more threes in 18 games, including 14 of CSU's conference contests. Saunders led the Big South for much of the year in three-point percentage in league games, and finished second in both made threes and accuracy during the conference slate.
"I am particularly pleased that Will has been named second-team all-conference," CSU head coach Barclay Radebaugh said. "Will is a tireless worker and is one of the finest shooters in the country. Will is a terrific teammate and an intense, focused competitor. I am so happy Will is being honored for his hard work."
Saunders came through with three clutch three-pointers in CSU's overtime win at Ole Miss to open the season. He scored in double figures 22 times, and went over the 20-point mark twice. Saunders also improved his overall game as a defender, and finished 8th in the Big South in rebounding. He buried a career-high seven threes and notched a double-double of 22 points and ten rebounds in CSU's home win over Liberty on January 14. Saunders tallied a career-high 26 points in a road rout of Campbell on February 21. He garnered his second double-double of the year in Saturday's triple overtime win over High Point, and recorded 15 points and ten rebounds while playing 54 of a possible 55 minutes.
Harper earned Honorable Mention All-Conference accolades after averaging 13 points, 4.0 rebounds and 2.1 assists per game. The 6-2 guard from College Park, Ga. averaged 2.0 steals per game in Big South play, and finished third in the conference overall with 1.71 per game.
A member of the Big South's All-Freshman Team in 2011-12, and a Second-Team All-Conference Pick in 2012-13, Harper again showcased his all-around game in cementing his legacy as one of the best players in CSU history. Harper ranks 5th in CSU history in scoring and tied former teammate Kelvin Martin for 2nd in CSU history and 10th in Big South annals in steals with two Saturday against High Point. Earlier this season, he became the sixth player in the Big South's 31-year history to tally over 1,000 points, 400 rebounds, 200 assists and 200 steals.
Harper ranked 10th in the Big South in scoring average (14.2 PPG) in league play, and scored 20 or more points five times (six overall). He hit one of the biggest shots in CSU history in the regular season title clincher win over High Point, draining a long three to tie the game and force a third overtime. Harper scored five points in the third extra session, and finished with 20 points, six assists, two rebounds and two steals while logging 53 minutes.
"We all know that Arlon is one of the elite players in our league and has been for four years," Radebaugh said. "Arlon is so unselfish and is asked to do so many things that often go unnoticed. He is our best defender, our secondary ball-handler, leads our team in steals and is an absolutely outstanding vocal leader. We would not be where we are today without Arlon."
Gombwer, a 6-6 forward from Kaduna, Nigeria, was named to the Big South's All-Academic Team for the second straight year. He holds a 3.47 GPA and is slated to graduate this spring with a degree in Sociology and a minor in Communications. Gombwer is a six-time member of the Dean's List at Charleston Southern, and a three-time Big South Presidential Honor Roll honoree.
On the floor, Gombwer was CSU's leading rebounder for the third straight year, averaging 6.2 per game. Gombwer ranked 7th in the Big South in rebounding and 11th in offensive rebounds, helping a CSU squad that is 19th nationally in offensive rebounds per game. He posted ten or more rebounds in five games, and had eight or more in ten contests. His 759 rebounds are 5th most in CSU history and 17th most in Big South history.
"I'm so proud of Paul and what he has meant to our program is immeasurable," Radebaugh said. "He's a great player and an elite student. Words can't describe the value he has added to CSU over the last four years. Any coach would say it's an honor to coach Paul."
CSU is the No. 1 seed in the VisitMyrtleBeach.com Basketball Championships, and heads to the HTC Center in Conway, S.C. for a 12 noon quarterfinal round game on Friday. The Bucs will face No. 9 Longwood. Friday's game will be broadcast on ESPN3.
