Feb. 22, 2006

Los Angeles, CA (Feb. 22) - With two games still left in the regular season, Loyola Marymount University junior Matthew Knight earned his first season honor as the National Association of Basketball Coaches (NABC) announced the NABC Division I All-District Teams recognizing the country's best men's collegiate basketball student-athletes. Knight was named second-team in District 15.

Selected and voted on by member coaches of the NABC, these student-athletes represent the finest basketball players across the country. The 150 student-athletes, from 15 districts, are now eligible for the NABC Division I All-American Teams to be announced at the conclusion of the 2005-2006 NCAA men's basketball season.

Knight has risen to the top of the West Coast Conference and is a Player of the Year candidate. Knight is currently seventh overall in the WCC in scoring with 16.7 points per game and is fourth in conference games at 18.4 ppg. He leads the league in rebounding with 10.0 per game overall and 11.2 in WCC play. He is also fourth overall in field goal percentage (53.3), first in offensive rebounds (3.77), first in defensive rebounds (6.19), 10th in steals (1.19) and 12th in blocked shots (.73). Knight earned Player of the Week honors in the WCC on Jan. 10 after averaging 22 ppg and 11 rpg in the home sweep to start WCC play.

He added another double-double to his resume against Portland, giving him 15 on the season and 17 in his career. This season he has had consecutive double-double streaks of six and four as he continues to put his name in the LMU record books. His 15 this season is the most since Hank Gathers had 16 in the 1989-90 season and is eighth all-time for single season double-doubles. His 17 in his career is seventh in program history, passing Mark Armstrong (1984-88).

His six straight puts him in elite company. He is just the fifth player in 99 years of college basketball at LMU to have a consecutive game streak of six or more, joining a list of Jim Haderlein, Steve Smith, Hank Gathers and Brad Dean. All five finished in the top-25 all-time in LMU scoring and Knight is getting close to joining an even more elite group of all-time LMU greats.

Knight enters the Santa Clara game with 952 career points and 488 rebounds. Only 11 players in LMU history are members of the 1,000-point and 500-rebound club.

The Lions travel to Santa Clara on Saturday, Feb. 26 for an 8 p.m. tip. The game will be live on FSN West 2.

About the National Association of Basketball Coaches
Located in Kansas City MO, the NABC was founded in 1927 by Phog Allen, the legendary University of Kansas basketball coach. 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.

- GO LIONS -