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Men's Basketball

Baldwin-Wallace College Basketball Coach Steve Bankson Named as the OAC

Coach of the Year; Three Players Tabbed All-OAC

BEREA, OHIO -- Baldwin-Wallace College veteran men's basketball coach Steve Bankson has been named as the 2004 Ohio Athletic Conference Coach of the Year in a vote by the OAC Coaches. In addition, three Yellow Jacket men's players were tabbed to the All-OAC squad, including a first-team pick selection in junior Thad Davis (Elyria/ Open Door).

Bankson led B-W to an outstanding 18-8 overall record that included a 13-5 mark in the OAC which tied the Yellow Jackets for second place. B-W was picked to finish sixth in an OAC preseason Coaches poll. The award is the first of Bankson's 24-year career at B-W. The 18 victories give Bankson 626 overall in his 39-year career as a head coach at the high school, junior college and Division III levels. Bankson is the winningest men's basketball coach in B-W history with 345 wins. He is 626-404 overall and 345-290 at
B-W.

Joining Thad Davis on the All-OAC squad are his freshman forward brother, Tori Davis (Elyria/ Open Door), and sophomore guard Keith Aufmuth (Brooklyn). Tori Davis was named as a second-team pick and Aufmuth was an honorable mention choice.

Thad Davis led the Yellow Jackets in scoring at 19.0 points per game and led the OAC in rebounding with 10.4 rebounds per game. His scoring ranked third in the OAC. He also shot 51.8 percent from the floor (175 of 338) and 71.8 percent from the foul line (135 of 188). His field goal shooting ranked eighth in the league. Thad Davis also blocked 46 shots to rank second in the OAC.

Tori Davis was second on the team and 10th in the OAC in scoring at 14.7 ppg., second on the team and fourth in the OAC in rebounding at 7.7 rpg., first on the team and fourth in the OAC in field goal shooting (137 of 238) and first on the team and in the OAC in blocked shots with 56.

Aufmuth had a solid sophomore year and averaged 13.4 ppg. to rank third on the team and 16th in the OAC. He led B-W with 46 three-pointers. Aufmuth led the Yellow Jackets and was seventh in the OAC with 42 steals. He was second on the team and fifth in the OAC with 88 assists. In addition, Aufmuth canned 78.3 percent of his foul shots (83 of 106).

FOR MORE INFORMATION, please contact B-W Sports Information Director Kevin Ruple by telephone at 440-826-2327, by FAX machine at 440-826-2192 or via e-mail at kruple@bw.edu. To contact Head Coach Steve Bankson, please call him at 440-826-2039, by FAX at 440-826-2192 or via e-mail at sbankson@bw.edu.