2003-04 VaSID University Division Men's Basketball All-State Team Matthews, a 6’7” forward from Columbia, S.C., led the Big East Conference and ranked 11th among all NCAA Division I players with a 22.1 points per game scoring average this past year. The first team All-Big East and honorable mention Associated Press All-America honoree also finished second in the conference in steals (2.48/gm.) and third overall in rebounding (8.7 rpg.). Capel repeated as the VaSID Coach of the Year after guiding VCU to a 23-8 overall record as well as the Colonial Athletic Association regular season and tournament championships. The Rams also earned their first NCAA tournament berth since the 1995-96 campaign and compiled their most victories in eight years under the guidance of the 29-year old Capel, who has now amassed a 41-18 mark in two seasons at VCU. Matthews was joined on the All-State first team by Hampton junior Devin Green, William & Mary senior Adam Hess, Virginia Commonwealth senior Domonic Jones and Old Dominion sophomore Alex Loughton. Green, a 6’7” swingman, averaged 15.2 points, 7.6 rebounds and 2.3 assists to garner first team All-Mid Eastern Athletic Conference accolades this past year. Hess, a 6’7 forward and the 2002-03 VaSID Player of the Year, ranked 22nd nationally with a 20.3 points per game scoring average and made his second straight appearance on the All-CAA and National Basketball Coaches Association All-District 4 first teams. Jones, a 6’1” guard, was tabbed as the CAA’s Player of the Year and an Associated Press honorable mention All-American after averaging 16.3 points, 4.4 rebounds and 2.5 assists in 2003-04. Loughton also received first team All-CAA and NABC All-District 4 honors and finished second among all conference players in both scoring (16.6 ppg.) and rebounding (8.7 rpg.). The 6’9” center also produced the NCAA’s highest single-game scoring effort this past year with a 45-point performance against Charlotte in December. Matthews and Hess were chosen to the first team squad for the second consecutive year, while Jones was selected to the state’s top unit as a sophomore in 2001-02. This year’s VaSID second-team consists of University of Virginia junior center Elton Brown (14.8 ppg., 6.3 rpg.), Richmond seniors Tony Dobbins (11.1 ppg., 7.6 rpg., 2.6 apg.) and Mike Skrocki (16.0 ppg., 3.2 rpg.), Radford sophomore guard Whit Holcomb-Faye (17.5 ppg., 4.1 apg.) and George Mason sophomore forward Jai Lewis (14.5 ppg., 7.5 rpg.). Dobbins was also a second-team choice a year ago. |
RICHMOND,
Va.