Greyhounds Receive Recognition on All-LSC South Men's Basketball Team
Scanlan Selected Coach-of-the-Year; Palmer Chosen Player-of-the-Year; Coleman Named Defensive Player-of-the-Year

PORTALES, NM - The Eastern New Mexico University men’s basketball team, which won the Lone Star Conference South Division title at 11-1 and finished the season with a 20-8 overall record, was well represented on the All-LSC South Team, released Sunday (Mar. 9) by the LSC Office. The All-LSC South Team honored five First Team players, five Second Team players and eight honorable mention selections.

Eastern’s Cedric Palmer (Sr., F, 6’6”, Houston, TX/McLennan CC) was named First Team All-LSC South and was chosen LSC South Player-of-the-Year. Jamaal Hunnicutt (So., F, 6’5”, Amarillo, TX/Hill JC) was named Second Team All-LSC South and Kevin Iverson (Sr., G, 6’2”, Chicago, IL/Elgin CC) earned Honorable Mention All-LSC South recognition.

Head Coach Shawn Scanlan was named LSC South Coach-of-the-Year after leading the Greyhounds to the LSC South title by three games over West Texas A&M University. Garland Coleman (Jr., G/F, 6’3”, Flossmoor, IL/Homewood-Flossmoor HS) was chosen LSC South Defensive Player-of-the-Year.

Palmer led the Greyhounds with 16.0 points per game and ranked ninth in the Lone Star Conference in scoring. He connected on 56.4% of his shots (137 of 243) to rank third in the LSC in field goal percentage. He ranked eighth in the LSC in free throw percentage, as he converted 77.4% at the charity stripe (144 of 186). Palmer also averaged 4.5 rebounds per game.

He averaged 18.2 points and hit 60.2% of his field goal attempts in LSC South play. He scored a career-high 29 points in ENMU’s 76-69 win at Midwestern State on Feb. 6, 2003.

In two seasons, Palmer scored 826 points, an average of 15.6 points per game, and grabbed 268 rebounds. He shot 56.3% (282 of 501) from the field during his ENMU career, while sinking 74.6% (262 of 351) at the charity stripe. He was named First Team All-LSC South both years.

Hunnicutt was Eastern’s second leading scorer in 2002-03, with 11.0 points per game. He shot 55.7% from the field (103 of 185) and was 101 of 140 (72.1%) at the free throw line. He led the Greyhounds with 6.1 rebounds per game to rank 14th in the overall LSC stats.

Hunnicutt completed his sophomore season with 449 career points and 294 career rebounds. In two years, he has blocked 27 shots, earned 54 steals and provided 107 assists. He scored a career-high 20 points against East Central University on Jan. 11, 2003, and hauled down a career-high 17 rebounds at Angelo State University last season (Feb. 21, 2002).

Irverson joined Palmer and Hunnicutt in double figures this season. He averaged 10.1 points per game and provided 4.2 rebounds per contest. He ranked second on the team with 69 assists, and 15 blocked shots. He also earned 32 steals and shot 73.6% (92 of 125) at the free throw line.

He also played at ENMU in 2000-01, but sat out the 2001-02 season. He finished his career with 517 points and 232 rebounds. He also achieved 134 assists and 55 steals at ENMU. He scored a career-high 27 points in a 96-94 double-overtime win against N.M. Highlands on Nov. 21, 2000, and scored 23 points in a 93-88 overtime win over Angelo State on Feb. 20, 2003.

Coleman was solid on defense throughout the season, often guarding the most-talented opposing player. He also scored 8.1 points per game, to go with 4.8 boards per game, 2.2 assists per game and 1.8 steals per game. His 51 steals in 28 games ranked sixth in the LSC.

He shot 52.9% from the field (83 of 157) and 76.9% at the free throw stripe (60 of 78) this season. He concluded the year with career totals of 660 points, 398 rebounds, 196 assists and 99 steals. Coleman played on each of Eastern’s last three teams, as the Greyhounds improved from 4-22 in 2000-01 to 15-12 in 2001-02 and 20-8 this season.
Eastern was picked fifth in the LSC South Preseason Poll, but Scanlan led the Greyhounds to their first-ever LSC South title. ENMU won 15 of its last 16 regular season games.

The Hounds defeated East Central, 112-79, in the first round of the LSC Tournament, Mar. 4, before hosting the LSC semifinals and championship game at Greyhound Arena, Mar. 7-8. ENMU’s season ended in the semifinals with a 64-58 loss to Tarleton State University, ranked #2 in NCAA Division II at the time. Eastern narrowly missed out on its first NCAA Division II National Tournament berth since 1992-93.

ENMU earned a 20-58 record in the three seasons immediately prior to Scanlan’s arrival in the spring of 2000, including 3-23 in 1999-00. Scanlan has led the Greyhounds to a 39-42 overall record in three seasons at Eastern, including 35-20 the past two years.

2002-03 LSC South All-Conference Team

First Team
Cedric Palmer (Eastern New Mexico) Forward 6'6" Sr. Houston, TX
Rod Prater (West Texas A&M) Guard 6'0" Jr. Starkville, MI
Micah Reed (TAMU-Commerce) Guard 6'5" Sr. Maypearl, TX
William Brown (TAMU-Kingsville) Guard 6'3" Jr. New Orleans, LA
Rodney Lee (Abilene Christian) Guard 6'3" Jr. Fort Worth, TX

Second Team
Marquette Wilkins (Midwestern State) Guard 5'11" Jr. Austin, TX
Clay Lewkowski (TAMU-Commerce) Center 6'9" Jr. Oak Creek, WI
Germaine Chase (Angelo State) Forward 6'7" Sr. Los Angeles, CA
Toby Thompson (Angelo State) Guard 5'10" Sr. Longview, TX
Jamaal Hunnicutt (Eastern New Mexico) Forward 6'5" So. Amarillo, TX

Honorable Mention
Abilene Christian - Tucker Pierson (Forward); Eastern New Mexico - Kevin Iverson (Guard); Midwestern State - Josh Drumgole (Forward), Jovani Allen (Guard); TAMU-Commerce - Thaddeus Daggett (Center), Jason Summers (Guard); West Texas A&M - Matt Madison (Forward), Kyle Caldwell (Center).