
                         Roanoke Times
                 Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: SATURDAY, February 18, 1995                   TAG: 9502220010
SECTION: SPORTS                    PAGE: C-5   EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: STAFF REPORT
DATELINE:                                 LENGTH: Medium

BRIDGEWATER'S RUSH NAMED ODAC'S BEST

Dan Rush, a senior center at Bridgewater, was named the Old Dominion Athletic Conference's player of the year Friday at the league's first men's basketball banquet at the Salem Civic Center.

Rush, who led the league in scoring with 25.6 points per game, was the unanimous selection in voting by the conference's 10 coaches. He also averaged 6.8 rebounds and led the conference in field-goal percentage (66 percent).

Roanoke's Bryant Lee, the league's top rebounder with 10.6 per game, and Nate Schwab of Hampden-Sydney repeated on the All-ODAC first team. Emory & Henry's Dytanyon Norman, a junior guard from Bassett, also made the first team along with Kurt Axe of Randolph-Macon.

Hampden-Sydney's Tony Shaver was selected coach of the year after leading the Tigers to a 22-2 record and the ODAC's regular-season title, finishing 17-1 in the league. Emory & Henry's Jason Light, a graduate of Floyd County High, was named freshman of the year.

Washington and Lee's Cam Dyer made the second team along with Otis Tucker III of Lynchburg, Jason Leonard of Hampden-Sydney and Guilford's Shawn Peterson and Robby Pack.

Among the players who earned honorable mention were Hampden-Sydney's Tee Jennings, a former William Fleming standout; E&H's Kevin Alexander, a graduate of Pulaski County; and Mark Connelly of W&L.

The ODAC tournament begins today at the civic center. No.1 Hampden-Sydney faces No.8 W&L at 1:30 p.m., No.5 Randolph-Macon plays No.4 Emory & Henry at 3:30, No.2 Roanoke takes on No.7 Guilford at 6:30, and No.6 Virginia Wesleyan faces No.3 Bridgewater at 8:30.

ALL-ODAC MEN'S TEAM

The complete 1994-95 All-ODAC men's basketball teams and awards, as selected in voting by the league's 10 coaches (players listed with schools, class, position and hometowns):

First team

Dan Rush, Bridgewater, sr., C, Logan, W.Va.; Kurt Axe, Randolph-Macon, jr., G, Ephrata, Pa.; Dytanyon Norman, Emory & Henry, jr., G, Bassett; x-Bryant Lee, Roanoke, sr., F, Bena; x-Nate Schwab, Hampden-Sydney, jr., F, Mechanicsville.

Second team

Jason Leonard, Hampden-Sydney, sr., F, Petersburg; Otis Tucker III, Lynchburg, so., F, Lynchburg; Cam Dyer, Washington and Lee, sr., F, Tega Cay, S.C.; Shawn Peterson, Guilford, jr., F, Central Square, N.Y.; Robby Pack, Guilford, jr., C, Wadsworth, Ohio.

x-Denotes first-team repeater from 1993-94

Player of the Year - Rush, Bridgewater .

Coach of the Year - Tony Shaver, Hampden-Sydney.

Freshman of the Year - Jason Light, Emory & Henry, F, Pilot.

by CNB