SPOKANE, WA – Chaminade's Joel Smith was announced yesterday as a Daktranics All Region Second Team selection. Smith's selection marks four straight years that a Chaminade player has been named to the Daktronics All West Region team. The 6'4 Lompoc native finished the year averaging 15.3 pts and 6.1 rebounds per game.
Lucas Alves, a 6-9 junior forward from BYU-Hawaii, has been voted the 2008-09 Daktronics NCAA Division II West Region Men's Basketball Player-of-the-Year.
Alves, who earned first team West Region honors for the second year in a row, out-pointed Brandon Brown of Cal State San Bernardino 124-81 to earn the Player-of-the-Year honors
Alves, who averaged 19.7 points and 7.6 rebounds in leading the Seasiders to a 25-1 record and a No. 3 national ranking, and Cal Poly Pomona forward Larry Gordon were the only first-team repeaters from a year ago
Joining Alves, Brown and Gordon on the first team were guards Jake Linton of Saint Martin's and Ira Graham of Western Washington.
Selected to the second team were guards Joel Smith of Chaminade, Michael Hernandez of Cal State Dominguez Hills and Matt Penoncello of Central Washington and forwards Jay DeMaestri of Hawaii Hilo and Jake Beitinger of Central Washington. Beitinger was also a second team selection last year.
Players selected to the region first team will now be listed on the Daktronics All-American national ballot. The All-American team will be announced later this month.
The selections are made by the sports information directors at the region's schools that sponsor men's basketball. The region includes teams, which compete in the California Collegiate Athletic Association, Great Northwest Athletic Conference and Pacific West Conference.
2009 DAKTRONICS WEST REGIONAL MEN'S BASKETBALL ALL-STAR TEAM
First Team
Jake Linton, Saint Martin's Guard 5-10 Sr. Lynnwood, WA
Ira Graham, Western Washington Guard 6-1 Sr. Fontana, CA
Lucas Alves, BYU-Hawaii Forward 6-9 Jr. Casa Branca, Brazil
Larry Gordon, Cal Poly Pomona Forward 6-5 Sr. Pomona, CA
Brandon Brown, CSU San Bernardino Center 6-7 Jr. New Orleans, LA
Second Team
Joel Smith, Chaminade Guard 6-4 Sr. Lompoc, CA
Michael Hernandez, CSU Dominguez Hills Guard 6-2 Sr. Whittier, CA
Matt Penoncello, Central Washington Guard 6-5 Sr. Moscow, ID
Jay DeMaestri, Hawaii Hilo Forward 6-6 Sr. Mill Valley, CA
Jake Beitinger, Central Washington Forward 6-8 Sr. Port Orchard, WA
