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HIGHLAND HEIGHTS, Ky. - Steven Wright capped his sensational one-year stay at Northern Kentucky University on Tuesday by taking home an honor no other Norse men’s basketball player had ever before earned. Wright, a transfer from Bowling Green State who led NKU to a 24-9 record this season, was named first team All-American by Division II Bulletin. A native of Dayton, Ohio, Wright became the first men’s basketball player in Norse history to earn a spot on the first team. “I can’t tell you that I ever saw a better player than Steve,” said NKU senior guard Kevin Schappell. “He was the best athlete on the floor every time we played. Steve can run, he can jump and he is so quick. With his athleticism, he makes it look so easy because he can get his shot whenever he wants, and he creates things so easily. “I saw some great players like (Kentucky Wesleyan’s) Marlon Parmer and (Indianapolis’) David Logan during my career, and Steve Wright is right there with them. But he is so much more athletic than any of the other guys, and that’s what separates him from everyone.” A 6-foot-3 leaper, Wright earned Great Lakes Valley Conference Player of the Year honors this season. He averaged 16.8 points and 5.3 rebounds per game as NKU won the GLVC East Division title and advanced to the regional championship game. Wright also led the team in steals with 54 and dished out 106 assists. He participated in the NABC/NCAA Division II All-Star Game last week and scored 13 points for the West, which rallied for a 97-92 win over the East at Springfield, Mass. “He could have scored 30 points a game this year, but he wanted to get everyone involved and make us a better team. He wants to win very badly, and it was great being his teammate this season,” Schappell said. “Steve is an even better person than a basketball player,” he continued. “Our three Division I transfers, Steve, James (Cripe) and Anthony (Teague) made an easy transition to our team. They all have great personalities, and they became great friends to all of us on the team.” Wright was 62-for-179 from 3-point range and made 46.1 percent of his shots from the field. The Dayton Colonel White High School product also made 77.6 percent of his free throws. Wright also finished with 37 dunks this season, the second-highest total in school history and the most ever by a guard. In addition, Wright was named to both the GLVC and NCAA Division II Great Lakes Region All-Tournament teams. He started the season by earning most outstanding player honors for NKU at the John L. Griffin/Lions Club Classic. Wright played three years at Bowling Green State before transferring to NKU this season. He scored a combined 1,293 points during his college career. “He deserved to be an All-American, and this is a great honor for him to be the first NKU player to be on the first team,” Schappell said. Other NKU All-Americans of the past include Derek Fields (third team NABC in 1989), Paul Cluxton (third team NABC in 1997), LaRon Moore (third team NABC in 1997), Craig Sanders (honorable mention Division II Bulletin in 2002) and Brenden Stowers (second team Division II Bulletin in 2003). Wright is the sixth NKU men’s player to earn All-America accolades. 2006-07 Division II Bulletin All-America
Teams Second Team Third Team Fourth Team Honorable Mention . |
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