2005-06 FERRIS MEN'S BASKETBALL AWARDS ANNOUNCED

Senior Guard Dennis Springs Picks Up Team MVP Honors At Postseason Banquet

The Ferris State University men's basketball program capped off its 2005-06 campaign Sunday (April 9) by holding its annual postseason awards banquet at the Holiday Inn Hotel and Conference Center in Big Rapids, Mich. The event was sponsored by the Rebounders Booster Club and the Rotary Club of Big Rapids.

Senior guard Dennis Springs (Toledo, Ohio/Scott) was honored as both the squad's Most Valuable Player and Defensive Player Award recipient. A 2005-06 Daktronics All-Great Lakes Region Second Team pick, Springs also picked up National Association of Basketball Coaches (NABC) Great Lakes Region All-District First Team honors in his final season. The 5-6 Springs, who led the Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (GLIAC) in assists (5.74 apg) this season and ranked as the league's third-leading scorer (16.8 ppg) this campaign, was honored as a first-team All-GLIAC North Division selection this year. Springs’ career average of 6.2 assists per game ranks tied for 17th place all-time in NCAA Division II history and is the GLIAC’s top career performance average for all games played. His 713 career assists not only ranks as the school's top figure, but also presently is listed 13th on the all-time NCAA Division II assists leaders list.

The two-time (2003-04 & 2004-05) GLIAC North Division Second Team honoree compiled 28 double-figure scoring outings this season and currently is listed among the school's all-time performers in five statistical categories, including ninth in scoring with 1,504 career points. He earned GLIAC North Division Player of the Week Award honors three times this campaign. Springs also received GLIAC North Division All-Defensive Team kudos for the third-straight season and picked up GLIAC All-Tournament Team recognition this year.

Springs, who attained NCAA-II Great Lakes Region All-Tournament Team kudos as FSU advanced to the NCAA-II Sweet Sixteen during the 2004-05 campaign, was chosen as the Grand Rapids Press' Player of the Year this season. He was the conference's assists leader three of his four collegiate seasons and dished out 10 or more assists 14 times in his playing career.

Senior forward Jeffery Shanahan (Flint/Kearsley) received the team’s Sixth Player Award. The 6-6 Shanahan ranked second among the squad's rebounding (6.7 rpg) and blocked shots (22) leaders this season. He appeared in the team's first 29 games before an injury sidelined him for the final two games of the campaign. The three-time (2003-06) GLIAC All-Academic Team honoree had nine double-figure scoring performances and three double-double (points and rebounds) efforts in his final season. Shanahan, who concluded his career with 622 points in 113 games, currently ranks 15th in rebounding (528) along with ninth in steals (116) and seventh in blocked shots (48) on FSU's all-time leaders list. He ranked among the GLIAC's overall leaders in six statistical categories this campaign, including seventh in rebounding.

Senior guard Antwuan Holt (Okemos) picked up the squad's Coaches Award after earning second-team All-GLIAC North Division recognition. Holt, who started all 31 outings this season, finished the year as the squad's third-leading scorer (10.5 ppg) and was first in made three-point field goals (63). Holt claimed the league's Player of the Week Award once (Jan. 9) this year. Last season (2004-05), Holt claimed team Most Improved Player Award honors as Ferris State reached the NCAA-II Great Lakes Regional championship game. The 6-3 Holt, who spent his initial two seasons of collegiate eligibility from 2002-04 at GLIAC member Northern Michigan, posted 18 double-figure scoring performances this campaign. His 63 made three-pointers this year represents the school's ninth-best single-season total in the program's history.

The Most Improved Player Award was given to junior guard Julius Vines (Muskegon Heights), who appeared in all 31 contests and made four starts in his initial season this year. Vines, who played two years of junior college basketball at Muskegon Community College, started three of the squad's final five outings this season. He averaged 4.5 points and 3.1 rebounds per game while shooting 80.0% (32-40) from the free throw line. Vines averaged 24 minutes of playing time per contest in the final seven games of the campaign.

Ferris State posted an 18-13 overall mark this year en route to making its second consecutive NCAA Division II Great Lakes Regional Tournament berth under fourth-year head coach Bill Sall this campaign. FSU posted a second-place 13-5 mark in GLIAC North Division regular-season action after claiming back-to-back league crowns in 2003-04 and 2004-05. Ferris also received GLIAC Tournament runner-up accolades this season.