March 7, 2006

St. Louis, Mo. -

University of Missouri junior guard Thomas Gardner was named an All-District selection by the United States Basketball Writers Association (USBWA) on Tuesday.

 

Gardner was named to the 11-member All-District 6 squad, which represents the states of Missouri, Iowa, Kansas, Oklahoma, North Dakota and South Dakota. A total of seven Big 12 Conference performers were named to the 11-player list, with Kansas' Brandon Rush being named the District 6 Player of the Year.

 

Also named a Third Team All-Big 12 honoree by the Conference Coaches and to the Big 12's "All-Improved Team" by the Big 12 Media, Gardner finished the regular season second in the Big 12 with 19.9 points per game and led the Conference with 3.44 three-point field goals per contest. Those 3.44 treys per game are the highest average in Mizzou history and the third highest average in Big 12 history. Gardner topped the 20-point scoring barrier 16 times in 2005-06, including a career high 40 points in a dramatic 89-86 overtime win against Kansas on Jan. 16. That 40-point night was the second highest scoring performance in the Big 12 this season and the sixth most points in Big 12 history. Gardner was one of the League's most consistent scorers and failed to reach double figures in points just twice in 27 appearances. Gardner was a Midseason Candidate for the coveted John R. Wooden Award and was a Second Team National Association of Basketball Coaches All-District choice. Perhaps you could say that no player in the Big 12 Conference was more valuable than Gardner. The Portland, Ore., native averaged 8.2 of his 19.9 points in the final 12:46 of Mizzou's 27 games, including 18 points in the final 11:34 in the win against Kansas and 11 points in the final 3:34 in Sunday's win over Nebraska. Gardner also scored 20+ points against nine of the 11 Big 12 teams he faced this season.

 

Gardner and the Tigers return to action on Thursday (March 9) when they take on Nebraska in the opening round of the Phillips 66 Big 12 Tournament in Dallas, Texas. Game time is slated for 8:20 p.m. on ESPN2.

 

USBWA All-District 6 Team

Thomas Gardner, Missouri

Blake Ahearn, Missouri State

Will Blaylock, Iowa State

Greg Brunner, Iowa

Terrell Everett, Oklahoma

Taj Gray, Oklahoma

Ben Jacobson, Northern Iowa

Cartier Martin, Kansas State

Paul Miller, Wichita State

Curtis Stinson, Iowa State

 

District 6 Player of the Year

Brandon Rush, Kansas

 

District 6 Coach of the Year

Bill Self, Kansas