FSU's Justin Keenan Tabbed As All-Region Pick

Click Here For Daktronics All-Region Release (PDF)

Big Rapids, Mich. - Ferris State University junior forward/center Justin Keenan took one step closer to receiving All-America laurels for the first time in his collegiate career by being named today (March 10) to the 2009-10 Daktronics All-Midwest Region First Team.

Keenan was the only player from a Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (GLIAC) instiution among the five first-team selections in voting by the region's sports information directors.  As a first team pick, Keenan is now eligible to receive Daktronics All-America consideration.

Senior guard Jamar Smith of Southern Indiana was chosen as the 2009-10 Daktronics Midwest Region Player of the Year and joined on the first-team by Indianapolis guard Darius Adams, guard Aaron Hill of Rockhurst, guard Desmond Stephens of Kentucky Wesleyan and Keenan as four of the five players chosen were from the Great Lakes Valley Conference (GLVC).

By earning all-region laurels, Keenan becomes the first Bulldog men's player to achieve all-region first team recognition since former standout point guard Dennis Springs picked up National Association of Basketball Coaches (NABC) First Team and Daktronics Second Team All-Great Lakes Region status as a senior in the 2005-06 campaign. A second team Daktronics and NABC All-Region pick last campaign, Keenan is one of only 11 different Ferris players since 1980 to claim all-region honors.

Last week, Keenan was honored as the winner of the prestigious GLIAC Player of the Year Award for the 2009-10 season, becoming the first Bulldog men's basketball player in 20 years to attain the recognition. He was only the fifth player in school history to be tabbed as the league's top seasonal performer and the first since David Tuck in 1990.

A consensus preaseason All-America honoree and two-time first team All-GLIAC recipient, Keenan averaged a league-leading 21.1 points per game in 22 conference regular-season contests this season and held a 20.1 points per game average for all games this campaign.  Additionally, his 465 points in league games finished only six shy of matching the league's single-season scoring record of 471 points set by Saginaw Valley State's Michael Williams in the 1993-94 season.

The 6-6 Keenan also broke two GLIAC single-season records with his 176 made free throws and 253 total attempts in league regular-season play this season while becoming the school's all-time leader in career made free throws (562) along with topping his own single-season record with 215 makes in all games at the charity stripe.  He shattered the previous league records of 132 free throws made and 196 attempts that had been set by former Bulldog center Adam Anderson in the 2000-01 season.

Keenan guided the Bulldogs to a second consecutive conference tournament berth and a trip to the semifinals after leading the league with 14 scoring games of 20 points or more overall this year. He claimed GLIAC North Division Player of the Week accolades four-straight weeks during the season and reached double-figure scoring in 28 of 29 contests this campaign.

In addition to leading the league in scoring, Keenan also concluded the season ranked first in offensive rebounds (3.2 pg.) along with third in field goal percentage (55.1%) and fifth in total rebounding (6.9 rpg.). To date, Keenan has 1,569 career points and ranks eighth on the school's career scoring chart.

His 215 free throws (215-312) this year topped his own school single-season mark of 180 free throws recorded last season. He shot 154 free throws more than any other GLIAC player this season for all games and made 90 more than any other league player. This year marks the third-straight year he’s led the league in both makes and attempts.

Overall, Keenan has reached double-figure scoring in 79 of 84 career outings. He’s tallied 10 points or more in 56 of his last 58 contests, which included a personal career-high 35 points in a league home win over defending NCAA Division II National Champion Findlay in early February (Feb. 6) as the Bulldogs beat the Oilers for only the second time in the last 45 years.

Keenan led the Bulldog men's basketball team to a 16-13 overall record this season and this season represented the eighth consecutive year in which the Bulldogs had won 10 or more games under current eighth-year head coach Bill Sall after doing so only twice in the seven seasons prior to his arrival.

The all-region team is sponsored by Daktronics, Inc., an acknowledged world leader in scorer, timing and programmable display systems for virtually every sport at every level of competition. The team is voted on by members of the College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA) from the Midwest Region.

The online nomination and voting procedures are powered by ATHLETICSITE.COM.  Headquartered in Charleston, SC, ATHLETICSITE.COM is the official provider for college athletic websites for over 38 sports organizations, including 34 colleges, universities and conferences primarily at the Division II level.  To receive more information on how your institution can partner with ATHLETICSITE.COM for a customized website solution, visit www.athleticsite.com.

The region’s second team consisted of Findlay guards Nathan Hyde and Marcus Parker, Drury guard Alex Hall, Northwood forward Lionel Sullivan and Northern Kentucky center David Palmer.

The Daktronics All-America teams are slated to be announced later this month by the CoSIDA organization.