| |
|
|
| |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
NATIONAL DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE YEAR |
|
|
| |
|
April 3, 2008 |
| |
| |
 BOSTON
(MA) -- The
nation’s top shot blocker during the 2007-08 season
has been selected as the nation’s top defensive
player.
This year’s unanimous selection as the SEC’s Defensive
Player of the Year, Jarvis Varnado has been named as
the CollegeInsider.com National Defensive Player of
the Year.
“It's very obvious that Jarvis played a huge role in
us being able to win the SEC Western Division
championship and have as much success as we had this
season with his ability to control the middle and
protect the basket,” says Mississippi State head coach
Rick Stansbury. “It's quite an honor to lead the
nation in any statistical category, so this indeed a
very special and well deserved honor for Jarvis.”
The 6-foot-9 sophomore tallied 157 blocks this season,
which easily broke Erick Dampier’s previous
single-season school standard of 106 rejects set
during MSU’s 1995-96 Final Four campaign. In addition,
Varnado matched Shaquille O’Neal’s all-time SEC season
mark of 157 blocks set at LSU in 1991-92 to also rank
tied for 15th all-time in NCAA history.
With his 157 blocks this season, Varnado has
individually blocked more shots than 305 NCAA Division
I men's basketball teams (out of 341 NCAA Division I
programs) during the current campaign, according to
research provided by STATS out of Chicago.
Earlier this season Varnado had the school’s third
recorded triple-double with 10 points, 12 rebounds and
10 blocks in the Bulldogs’ 69-64 victory over Kentucky
(Jan. 15). Varnado also had 10 blocks against NCAA
Tournament entries Miami (Fla.) and Georgia. All total
during the 2007-08 season, he was credited with five
or more blocks on 17 occasions.
Varnado’s defensive presence in the post this season
for coach Rick Stansbury’s NCAA Tournament squad has
enabled the 23-11 Bulldogs to rank second nationally
in blocked shots (7.85 bpg) as well as field-goal
percentage defense (.370) en route to setting an
all-time school record for blocks (267 this season
after 222 last season) for the second consecutive
season.
“It's been a wonderful year for me and my teammates in
winning the SEC West and playing in the NCAA
Tournament,” says Varnado. “This award really makes me
want to work harder during this off-season and get
even better for next season.”
With 224 career blocks in just 69 MSU outings through
two seasons, Varnado already ranks second on the
school’s all-time list behind Dampier’s three-year
total of 249 career blocks. After posting the
fourth-best season field-goal percentage mark (.641)
in school history this past year, Varnado now tops
State’s all-time chart in career field-goal percentage
(.643).
“He made immense progress with his strength and
conditioning this past off-season and it showed on the
court this season,” says Stansbury. “And of course,
there is no substitute for experience and learning how
to stay away from foul trouble. We look for Jarvis to
continue that progression in the future as he gains
more strength and continues to increase his endurance.
We believe this will also lead to Jarvis' offensive
game blossoming next season.”
Varnado was one of 16 players named to the
CollegeInsider.com Defensive All-America team earlier
this week. |
|
|
| |
|
|
|
|
|
|