March 22, 2009

CEDAR RAPIDS, IOWA . . . Buena Vista University senior Andre Wagner (Omaha, Neb./Northwest) and Loras College senior Brian Centella (Grayslake, Ill./Grayslake) were among the 88 players recognized nationwide March 20 as the National Association of Basketball Coaches (NABC) unveiled their 2008-09 All-District teams. Wagner was a First Team selection, while Centella was named to the Second Team.

Wagner, the 2008-09 Iowa Conference MVP, averaged 16.6 points, 3.81 assists, and 1.8 steals in 26 contests, leading the conference champion Beavers in scoring 13 times. He led the Conference in assists, steals, and assist-to-turnover ratio, ranked second in scoring, and ranked fifth in free-throw percentage (79.8 percent, 87-of-109). Wagner also averaged 2.12 3-pointers per game, ranking fourth in the IIAC.

In 16 Conference games, Wagner averaged 16.5 points, 3.75 assists, and 1.63 steals, and shot 81.7 percent (58-of-71) from the free-throw line. He led the league in assists, steals, and assist-to-turnover ratio (1.25), and ranked fourth in scoring and sixth in free throw percentage.

Centella, a two-time All-Iowa Conference selection, was Loras' leading scorer, averging 16.3 points in 27 games, leading the Duhawks in scoring 13 times. He also led Loras in assists with a 2.7 assist per game average. He averaged 17.3 points per game in 16 Iowa Conference games to win the league scoring title. He also ranked fifth in assists with 2.88 per game average and ranked fourth in 3-point field goal percentage, hitting 43 percent of his shots from behind the 3-point arc. He also led the league in minutes played, averaging 34.69 minutes per game over the 16-game league schedule.

Jeff Skemp of Wisconsin-Platteville was named Division III West District Player of the Year, while St. Thomas (Minn.) mentor Steve Fritz was named Division III West District Coach of the Year.

Complete list of NABC Division III All-District Teams (PDF)

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