Misenheimer, NC --- With three of the 10 players selected, Pfeiffer University leads the All-Time Carolinas-Virginia Athletics Conference men’s basketball team announced Thursday night at the league’s annual basketball banquet.

 

In its final year as the Carolinas-Virginia Athletics Conference, the league is naming All-Time Teams in all of the conference sports. The league will change its name to Conference Carolinas on June 1.

 

Rico Grier, DeMario Grier, and Nem Sovic are the three Pfeiffer players who were voted on the team by the league’s sports information directors.

 

The other seven members of the team are Anthony Atkinson and Tim Black of Barton, Elton Coffield and Chris McDonald of Mount Olive, Dan Shanks of Coker, Spencer Ross of Queens University of Charlotte, and Byron Johnson of Belmont Abbey College.

 

Rico Grier played at Pfeiffer from 2001-02 to 2004-05. He averaged 16.5 points and 5.1 assists per game and helped lead the Falcons to a record of 31-3 and an Elite Eight appearance in ’04. He was the CVAC Player of the Year as a senior.

 

DeMario Grier is wrapping up his career with the Falcons this season and is having a banner senior year. He is averaging 25.5 points and 1.2 assists per game.

 

Sovic played at Pfeiffer from 1997-98 to 2000-01. He averaged better than 20 points per game in his final two seasons and finished with a career scoring average of 17.5 points per game. He was named the CVAC Freshman of the Year in ’98 and the league’s Player of the Year and Athlete of the Year in 2000.

 

Atkinson, a transfer from Campbell University, is completing his second and final season at Barton. As a junior, he averaged 18.4 points, 3.8 rebounds, five assists, and 2.6 steals to collect the Player of the Year award and lead the Bulldogs to the CVAC regular-season and tournament titles, the East Region title and trip to the Elite Eight. He is averaging 20.1 points and 3.5 rebounds per game this season.

 

Black played at Barton from 1999-2000 to 2002-03. He was named the CVAC Player of the Year in ’03 and first-team Daktronics All-American, a first for Barton. He averaged 25.5 points per game as a senior, which was the fourth best average in the country. He scored a total of 1,836 points for the Bulldogs.

 

Coffield is in his senior season at Mount Olive. He is averaging 17.3 points per game and has a career average of 14.6 points per game. He was named the most outstanding player at the 2005 East Regional after scoring 29 points in the championship game to help Mount Olive advance to the Elite Eight. He was named the best sixth man in the nation in Street and Smith’s 2005-06 preseason issue.

 

McDonald played at Mount Olive from 1996-97 to 1999-2000. He averaged 16. 1 points and 8.2 rebounds per game during his career. He was Player of the Year as a junior in ’99, Freshman of the Year in ’97, and a three-time All-CVAC selection. During his junior year, McDonald helped lead Mount Olive to their first-ever CVAC regular-season title.

 

Shanks played his entire career at Coker but just two years in the CVAC era (1995-96 and 1996-97).  He is regarded as one of the best shooters ever to play in the league. He averaged 19.3 points per game as a senior and shot 51.5 percent from the floor and 45.6 percent from behind the arc. He was a two-time All-Region selection and was named the CVAC Player of the Year and Athlete of the Year in ’97. He had a career free throw percentage of 87.6.

 

Ross played two seasons at Queens. He led the Royals to a record of 50-12 and one trip to the Elite Eight. He averaged 23.8 points and 5.5 assists per game as a senior. He was named MVP of the East Region and CVAC Athlete of the Year in ’03.

 

Johnson is considered one of the best post players to ever play in the CVAC. During his four-year career, which started with the 1999-2000 season, he helped lead the Crusaders to 74 victories, one CVAC Tournament championship, and one trip to the NCAA Tournament. He averaged 18.7 points and 8.7 rebounds per game as a senior. He ranked ninth in the country in field goal percentage (61.5) as a senior.

    

Men’s Basketball All-Time CVAC Team

                   Anthony Atkinson               Barton

                   Tim Black                          Barton

                   Elton Coffield                     Mount Olive

                   DeMario Grier                     Pfeiffer

                   Rico Grier                          Pfeiffer

                   Byron Johnson                   Belmont Abbey

                   Chris McDonald                  Mount Olive

                   Spencer Ross                     Queens

                   Dan Shanks                           Coker

                   Nem Sovic                         Pfeiffer