Ricks selected as NABC/State Farm All-American

Story by Tyler Cundith

Pulled from www.jccc.edu

OVERLAND PARK, Kan. -- Johnson County Community College freshmen guard Nafis Ricks of Philadelphia, Pa., has been named to the 2008 State Farm Coaches’ All-American Team as selected by the National Association of Basketball Coaches (NABC). He is the first player in team history to earn this honor.

Earlier this year, Ricks became the 11th player in JCCC history to earn All-America accolades, and the second to earn first-team honors. He joins Chris Lollar as the only two first-team All-Americans in Cavalier basketball history.

Ricks also earned second-team East Jayhawk Conference honors, was voted the East Jayhawk Conference Freshman of the Year and selected as a first-team All-Region VI performer. He is the first player in team history to earn Freshman of the Year.

Ricks helped JCCC to a 21-12 record, a No. 14 ranking in the final NJCAA Division II poll, a Region VI title and a runner-up finish in the District 10 Championship. The team’s 21 victories are the most since 2001-02, and tie the second-best season total in the 17-year tenure of head coach Mike Jeffers.

Ricks led the team in scoring (15.4), rebounding (7.4) and steals (87). His 87 steals tie the fifth-best season in school history. Ricks led JCCC in scoring in 16 games, was the top rebounder 18 times and game leader in assists six times.

He scored in double figures in 27 games, and had six double doubles of points and rebounds. Twice Ricks was selected the NJCAA D-II Player of the Week. His first honor came the week of Nov. 28.

The freshman guard led JCCC to a pair of victories over Cloud County Community College and Hutchinson Community College at the Hutchinson Thanksgiving Classic last weekend.

Ricks scored 12 points and grabbed seven rebounds with three assists and two steals in a 60-54 win over Cloud County. He then netted 14 points with eight rebounds and five assists in a 80-68 win over Hutchinson. Ricks’ second honor came the week of Feb. 6 when he averaged 28.5 points and 10.5 rebounds in JCCC two games that week.

He had 26 points, 10 rebounds, three assists and three steals in leading the Cavaliers to a 75-61 road victory over Highland. He followed with a career-high 31 points, along with 11 rebounds, two assists and two steals in a near upset of Division I nationally ranked Independence.

Located in Kansas City, MO, the NABC was founded in 1927 by Phog Allen, the legendary basketball coach at the University of Kansas. Allen, a student of James Naismith, the inventor of basketball, organized coaches into this collective group to serve as Guardians of the Game. The NABC currently claims nearly 5,000 members consisting primarily of university and college men’s basketball coaches.

All members of the NABC are expected to uphold the core values of being a Guardian of the Game by bringing attention to the positive aspects of the sport of basketball and the role coaches play in the academic and athletic lives of today’s student-athletes.

The four core values of being a Guardian of the Game are advocacy, leadership, service and education. Additional information about the NABC, its programs and membership, can be found at www.nabc.com.