By Dave Morrison
KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Mountain State’s James Spencer was honored as the school’s seventh first-team NAIA All-American.
The team was announced Tuesday before tip-off of the NAIA national title game between MSU and Oklahoma City — won by OCU 75-72 — at historic Municipal Auditorium.
Spencer, a senior guard from Los Angeles, was second in the nation in scoring this season, averaging a Mountain State record 24.3 points per game in the regular season.
“He is very deserving of All-American (status),” Bolen said. “I’m very proud of him. He had a great season for us.”
The 6-foot-4, 220-pound wing led Mountain State in three-pointers and steals as the Cougars rolled to a 34-3 record.
“That’s a good honor and all, but we didn’t win (the title), so it doesn’t really matter,” Spencer said.
During the national tournament, Spencer averaged 22.3 points and hit 14 threes heading into the title game.
Also named to the honorable mention All-American team was wing Adron Marshall and point guard Jarvis Jackson.
Marshall, a 6-4 senior from Aiken, S.C., averaged 16.9 points (second on the team) and 5.8 rebounds. He was also third in assists with 83.
Jackson, a 6-0 senior from Columbia, S.C., was fourth in the nation in assists (5.7) and also averaged 8.2 points per game.
He came alive in the postseason. In four games at the NAIA national tournament, Jackson scored in double figures, including a team-best 24 in the opener, a double-overtime win over Olivet Nazarene.
Also named to the first-team All-America squad was Ollie Bailey (Oklahoma City), Gus Chase (Georgetown), Glen Dandridge (Lambuth), Mike Gordy (Lewis-Clark State), Brad Harris (Lee), Othyus Jeffers (Robert Morris), Eric Palm (McKendree), Josh Porter (Louisiana State-Shreveport) and Mark Roussin (California Baptist).
