BUIES CREEK, N.C. - For the third-straight year, Jonathan Rodriguez of Campbell University has been named to the pre-season Atlantic Sun all-conference team. Campbell was also picked to finish sixth in the yearly polls of A-Sun head coaches and media members.
"Where we've been picked at sixth, there's five above us and five below us," said seventh-year Campbell head coach Robbie Laing. "It's encouraging because you're not very far from the top, but it's certainly something to be aware of because you're just as far from the bottom. I hope our kids will use this to inspire them to get up and contend for a title. It certainly looks like no one else in the league believes they can."
Campbell is coming off a 2008-09 campaign in which the Camels were the most-improved team in the Atlantic Sun Conference. Despite competing with the 10th least-experienced roster among 343 NCAA Division I programs, Campbell enjoyed its most successful men's basketball season in more than a dozen years in 2008-09.
The Fighting Camels (14-16, 11-9) tied a school record for most Atlantic Sun Conference regular season victories, matching the 11 wins collected by the 1996 club, and recorded the program's first winning record in league play since the 2000 squad finished 10-8.
Campbell returns 10 players from its 2008-09 roster, including three-time all-conference performer Rodriguez and league freshman of the year Lorne Merthie. CU opens its regular season at home on Fri., Nov. 13 against St. Andrews before hosting East Carolina Nov. 17.
A senior forward from Bayamon, Puerto Rico, Rodriguez already ranks among the league's all-time leaders in five categories. He stands 18th on A-Sun all-time scoring list with 1631 points (second among active players) and is on pace to become only the third player in league history to score 2000 points in his career.
The 6-foot-5 senior ranks third among A-Sun career leaders in free throws (480) and fourth in free throw attempts (638). He stands second among A-Sun career double-doubles leaders with 39, just three off the league record.
Rodriguez also rates eighth on A-Sun career rebounding list (824) and is the conference's active career leaders in free throws, free throw attempts, rebounds and double-doubles.
In just 91 career games, he has already set school career Division I era (since 1977) record for 20-point games (37), free throws and free throw attempts, offensive rebounds (260) as well as scoring (17.9) and rebound average (9.1).
He has scored in double figures 62 times in his last 68 games and 82 of 91 in his career. Rodriguez Set school Division I era record for consecutive double-figure scoring games (43), spanning the '07-08 and '08-09 seasons.
Last season, Rodriguez was a second-team all-conference choice and ranked eighth among A-Sun leaders in scoring (15.6), third in rebounding (8.3), 10th in field goal percentage (.474) and fifth in free throw percentage (.790). He earned first-team all-league recognition following his freshman and sophomore years.
"This is a testimony to the respect Jonathan deserves throughout the conference based on his previous three years of play," said Coach Laing. "I'm certain Jonathan's goal is to make it four years in a row on the all-conference team. We hope that he will continue to be our go-to guy. Hopefully Jonathan understands that our team has more at stake than at any other time during his career, and a good performance would certainly help our chances in the league."
Defending regular season champion Jacksonville was picked to share the league title with Lipscomb by conference head coaches. JU was the top vote-getter in the media poll. A-Sun coaches tabbed Lipscomb as the eventual conference tournament champion, while league media members predicted that the Dolphins will lift the trophy next March in Macon, Ga.
Rodriguez was one of four unanimous selections on the pre-season all-conference team along with James Florence of Mercer, Adnan Hodzic of Lipscomb, and pre-season player of the year Ben Smith of Jacksonville.
2009 Atlantic Sun Conference
Pre-Season Coaches' Poll
|
#
|
School (1st place)
|
Points
|
|
T1
|
Jacksonville (5)
|
111
|
|
T1
|
Lipscomb (4)
|
111
|
|
3
|
Mercer (1)
|
91
|
|
4
|
East Tennessee State (1)
|
89
|
|
5
|
Belmont
|
83
|
|
6
|
Campbell
|
72
|
|
T7
|
Florida Gulf Coast
|
43
|
|
T7
|
Stetson
|
43
|
|
9
|
North Florida
|
30
|
|
10
|
USC Upstate
|
28
|
|
11
|
Kennesaw State
|
25
|
Tournament Champ: Lipscomb
2009 Atlantic Sun Conference
Pre-Season Media Poll
|
#
|
School (1st place)
|
Points
|
|
1
|
Jacksonville (24)
|
328
|
|
2
|
Lipscomb (3)
|
287
|
|
3
|
Mercer (2)
|
254
|
|
4
|
Belmont (1)
|
252
|
|
5
|
East Tennessee State (1)
|
247
|
|
6
|
Campbell
|
193
|
|
7
|
Stetson
|
127
|
|
8
|
Florida Gulf Coast
|
119
|
|
9
|
Kennesaw State
|
87
|
|
10
|
USC Upstate
|
81
|
|
11
|
North Florida
|
71
|
Tournament Champ: Jacksonville
2009 Pre-Season
All-Conference Team
Selected by A-Sun head coaches
|
Pos
|
Player
|
Class
|
School
|
08-09 Stats
|
|
F
|
Lehmon Colbert
|
Sr.
|
Jacksonville
|
11.8 PPG, 6.2 RPG
|
|
F
|
Daniel Emerson
|
Sr.
|
Mercer
|
13.8 PPG, 10.7 RPG
|
|
G
|
* James Florence
|
Sr.
|
Mercer
|
20.8 PPG, 3.7 APG, 2.3 SPG
|
|
F
|
Ayron Hardy
|
Jr.
|
Jacksonville
|
10.1 PPG, 5.3 RPG, 60.6 FG%
|
|
C
|
* Adnan Hodzic
|
Jr.
|
Lipscomb
|
17.1 PPG, 7.1 RPG, 58.7 FG%
|
|
F
|
* Jonathan Rodriguez
|
Sr.
|
Campbell
|
15.6 PPG, 8.3 RPG, 47.4 FG%
|
|
C
|
Nick Schneiders
|
Sr.
|
USC Upstate
|
9.5 PPG, 6.1 RPG, 2.6 BPG
|
|
G
|
A.J. Smith
|
Sr.
|
Stetson
|
12.6 PPG, 3.8 APG, 81.9 FT%
|
|
G
|
* Ben Smith
|
Sr.
|
Jacksonville
|
16.9 PPG, 4.0 APG, 2.2 SPG
|
|
G/F
|
Mike Smith
|
Sr.
|
ETSU
|
15.3 PPG, 7.7 RPG, 36.1 3FG%
|
* Unanimous Selection
Pre-Season Player of the Year: Ben Smith (Jacksonville)
Courtesy: GoCamels.com