Adrian to play in All-Star game Friday
PHOENIX — West Virginia University senior Nathan Adrian will play in a senior All-Star game this week
The National Association of Basketball Coaches and the NCAA Division I Men’s Basketball Committee have announced the rosters and coaches for the 2017 Reese’s Division I College All-Star Game to be played at 3:35 p.m. Friday at University of Phoenix Stadium in Phoenix. The game will be televised on CBS Sports Network.
The rosters are composed of 21 of the nation’s outstanding seniors in NCAA Division I, with Georgia Tech head coach Josh Pastner heading the East All-Stars and University of Colorado head coach Tad Boyle heading the West All-Stars.
Adrian graduated from Morgantown High School. He started 18 games as a freshman for WVU. In his senior year he was named to the 2017 AP All-Big 12 Third Team.
Adrian was named to the Academic All-Big 12 Men’s Basketball First Team as a senior, the second time he has been named to the First Team, and the third time he has earned Academic All-Big 12 honors.
“He’s been a heck of a player, really, all four years here,” West Virginia Virginia coach Bob Huggins said of his senior forward in January, after Adrian scored a career-high 23 points and grabbed 11 rebounds to lead the Mountaineers to a victory over Iowa State on the road.
“He had a really good freshman year, then he had the injury his sophomore year but he still played — and he played well,” Huggins said of Adrian.
“It’s not easy to be on the front of that press, but how many 6-8, 6-9 guys can sit down and try and stay in front of Monte Morris, (Frank) Mason and the people he stays in front of at the top of that press?”
Adrian, F, 6-9, 235, will be on the West All-Stars squad, along with Bryce Alford, G, 6-3, 185, UCLA; Sterling Brown, G, 6-6, 230, SMU; Deonte Burton, G, 6-5, 250, Iowa State; Josh Hawkinson, C, 6-10, 230, Washington State; Paris Lee, G, 6-0, 185, Illinois State; Ben Moore, F, 6-8, 220, SMU; Luke Nelson, G, 6-3, 190, UC Irvine; DeWayne Russell, G, 5-11, 155, Grand Canyon; Rashawn Thomas, F, 6-8, 230, Texas A&M CC; and Derek Willis, F, 6-9, 228, Kentucky.
The East All-Stars team includes Evan Bradds, F, 6-7, 205, Belmont; Troy Caupain, G, 6-4, 210, Cincinnati; Tyler Cavanaugh, F, 6-9, 243, George Washington; J.J. Frazier, G, 5-10, 155, Georgia; Jack Gibbs, G, 6-0, 195, Davidson; Tim Kempton, C, 6-10, 245, Lehigh; Moses Kingsley, F, 6-10, 230, Arkansas; London Perrantes, G. 6-2, 197, Virginia; Reggie Upshaw, F, 6-8, 228, Middle Tennessee; and Steve Vasturia, G, 6-6, 212, Notre Dame.