March 14, 2012

2012 NABC All-District | LMU on Facebook | LMU on Twitter | Lions' All-Access

KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- The National Association of Basketball Coaches (NABC) announced today the NABC Division I All-District teams for 2012, recognizing the nation's best men's collegiate basketball student-athletes. Sophomore Anthony Ireland has been named District 9 second-team All-District for his play in leading the Lions in 2012.

Selected and voted on by member coaches of the NABC, these student-athletes represent the finest basketball players across America. The 240 student-athletes, from 24 districts, are eligible for the NABC Coaches' Division I All-America teams, to be announced on Tuesday, March 20.

Ireland had a breakthrough second season for the Lions, leading the team with 15.5 points per contest, good for third in the West Coast Conference. The point guard led the Lions to its most overall wins and conference wins since the 1989-90 Elite Team. The Lions enter the postseason at 19-12 overall, going 11-5 in the WCC.

He started the season scoring 22 or more points in four of five games, and with his 23 points at Gonzaga, he now has eight games with 20 or more on the season and 10 in his young career. He is the only Lion to play every game this season and he is second in the WCC in minutes played at 36.4 per game.

The first-team All-WCC selection is third in the WCC in scoring at 15.5 points per game and fourth with 4.8 assists per contest. He earned his second WCC Player of the Week honor with 16 points and seven assists in the win over ranked Saint Mary's, and 17 points, eight rebounds and five assists in the win over Valpo.

His first was after his 27-point effort in the win over BYU and he became just the second Lion since 1998 to earn a double-double with points and assists when he did it against Vanguard (14 pts, 10 assists). He had 21 assists in the final two non-conference games, going for a career-high 11 against Morgan State on Dec. 21. It is the most in back-to-back games since Terrell Lowery in 1990.

He now has 245 career assists to rank 14th all-time at LMU. He also has 51 steals on the season (1.65 spg), earning five against Santa Clara in the final regular season game to rank fourth in the WCC.