State's Jarvis Varnado Named To CollegeInsider.com Defensive All-America Team
The 16-man honor roll was compiled by the CollegeInsider.com staff with input provided by NCAA Division I coaches and NBA scouts. The team also includes SEC standouts Joe Crawford of
A native of
This year’s unanimous selection as the SEC’s Defensive Player of the Year, Varnado also averaged 7.9 points per game and ranks sixth in the SEC in rebounding (7.8 rpg) on the season. The 6-foot-9, 210-pound defensive stalwart recorded six double-doubles in 2007-08, including the school’s third recorded triple-double with 10 points, 12 rebounds and 10 blocks in the Bulldogs’ 69-64 victory over Kentucky on Jan. 15. Varnado also had 10 blocks against NCAA Tournament entries
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).
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.
For his season-long, shot-blocking efforts for the SEC Western Division champions, Varnado will be showcased in a one-page photo feature entitled ?Shootaround’ slated to run in the 2008 NCAA Men’s Final Four Official Program, published by the National Collegiate Athletic Association, CBS Sports and IMG.
This year’s 16-member CollegeInsider.com Defensive All-America Team is rounded out by Stanley Burrell of Xavier, Oklahoma State’s Marcus Dove, Frank Elegar of Drexel, Wisconsin’s Michael Flowers, Jeremiah Rivers of Georgetown, Diamon Simpson of St. Mary’s, Connecticut’s Hasheem Thabeet, Deron Washington of Virginia Tech, and Washington State’s Kyle Weaver.