MAC Announces 2002 All-MAC Men's Basketball Team

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March 6, 2002

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League champion Kent State placed two student-athletes on the 2002 All-Mid-American Conference first team released today. The Golden Flashes' guard combination of Andrew Mitchell and Trevor Huffman were joined on the select squad by MAC Player of the Year Keith McLeod of Bowling Green, Theron Smith of Ball State and Brandon Hunter of Ohio University.

Hunter and Huffman are both first-team selection repeats from last year. Smith and McLeod were second-team selections from last year while Mitchell was an honorable mention All-MAC player in 2001. Smith and Hunter are juniors while Mitchell, Huffman and McLeod are seniors.

Mitchell and Huffman directed the floor action as the Golden Flashes won their first-ever league title with a 17-1 conference record, setting a MAC standard for the number of league wins in a season. Huffman (Petoskey HS) and Mitchell (Detroit East Catholic) were both prepped at Michigan High Schools. Kent State has won 15 games in a row, the third longest active streak in the nation and fourth longest in MAC history.

The 6-1 Huffman averaged a team-high 15.8 points per game and dished out 133 assists, ranking 12th in the league in scoring and second in assists. Ten times he led the Golden Flashes in single game scoring this season with a high of 32 points versus Ball State. Four times in the last five games of the season Huffman led the Golden Flashes in scoring. He also ranks 11th in the MAC in steals with 39 (1.34 per game) and ninth in three-point goals per game (2.10). Huffman ranks third in the league in assist-turnover ratio (1.99 with 133 assists and 67 turnovers).

Mitchell, listed a 5-11 and just 160 lbs., averaged 15.4 points and 3.0 rebounds while adding 93 assists and 31 steals. Mitchell ranks ninth in the league in assists, 13th in field goal percentage (44.0%), second in free throw percentage (85.3%) and fifth in assist-turnover ratio (1.48 with 93 assists and 63 turnovers). Mitchell led KSU in single game scoring 12 times this year.

McLeod, a graduate of McKinley High School in Canton, Ohio, leads the Falcons into the MAC Tournament with a league high 22.3 points per game scoring average, the highest by a MAC player since Miami All-American Wally Szczerbiak led the league with a 24.2 ppg average in 1999. McLeod became known for his clutch shooting late in the game and keyed several late rallies that punctuated BG's 22-7 season and 12-6 MAC record. McLeod also ranks 11th in the league in field goal percentage (44.3%), ninth in free throw percentage (81.2%), second in steals (2.0 per game), third in three-point percentage (41.8%) and fourth in three-point field goals per game (2.62). McLeod started 28 of the Falcons 29 games and averaged 33.2 minutes per game for the 29-game schedule. He also added 85 assists and averaged 4.1 rebounds per game.

Smith leads the MAC in double-doubles with 17 and averages 19.6 points and a MAC-leading 11.0 rebounds per game for the West Division champion Cardinals. Smith ranks sixth in the MAC in field goal percentage at 51.2%. On Dec. 6, 2001, Smith had a 20-20 double-double with 29 points and 21 rebounds in a 113-89 win over IPFW. In back-to-back wins over then No. 4 ranked Kansas and No. 3 UCLA on November 19 and 20, 2001, Smith totaled 41 points and 12 rebounds with just one turnover in 58 minutes.

Hunter earned his repeat first-team honors by averaging 17.3 points and 9.1 rebounds per game, ranking seventh and third, respectively, in the MAC. Hunter also ranks eighth in field goal percentage (49.4%). At Marshall on Feb. 16, Hunter scored 27 points and grabbed 22 rebounds in a nationally televised game on ESPN in a 71-66 Bobcat victory. Hunter followed that game with a 20 point, nine rebound, six assist game in an 85-78 win over North Carolina in an ESPN2 game.

The All-MAC second team is comprised of Patrick Jackson of Ball State, Len Matela of Bowling Green, Antonio Gates of Kent State, Leon Rodgers of Northern Illinois and Steve Reynolds of Western Michigan. Matela and Rodgers were honorable mention selections last year while Jackson, Gates and Reynolds are first time selections.

Guards dominated the honorable mention squad as eight of the 10 members were the ball handler for their club. Buffalo forward Darcel Williams and Marshall center J.R. VanHoose were joined by guards Rashon Brown of Akron, Brandon Pardon of Bowling Green, David Webber of Central Michigan, Tamar Slay of Marshall, Doug Davis of Miami, Terry Reynolds and Nick Moore of Toledo and Robby Collum of Western Michigan.