FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Rob Silsbee, CNU
June 10, 2011
 
 
VWC Grabs Two Major Awards Headlining 2011 VaSID Men's Basketball All-State Team; Ferrum's Mitchell Player of the Year
 
NEWPORT NEWS, Va. – Ferrum College forward Derek Mitchell has been selected as Player of the Year, Virginia Wesleyan College head coach Dave Macedo named Coach of the Year and VWC freshman guard D.J. Woodmore earned Rookie of the Year honors, as voted on by the Virginia Sports Information Director Association (VaSID) for the 2011 College Division All-State Men’s Basketball Team.
 
Mitchell, a 6-5 senior forward from Newport News, Va., earned First Team All-America honors this season from the National Association of Basketball Coaches (NABC) after a stellar season for the Panthers. He was named USA South Player of the Year, D3Hoops.com South Region Player of the Year and NABC District III Player of the Year. Mitchell averaged 19.7 points and 13.2 rebounds per game and wrapped up a tremendous career as Ferrum’s all-time leading rebounder and second all-time leading scorer. The Ferrum senior was a 2009-10 All-State Second Team member and the 2007-08 VaSID Rookie of the Year.
 
The Coach of the Year nod is the fifth honor in last eight seasons for Macedo, who again led one of the top teams in Division III in Va. Wesleyan. He guided the Marlins to a 25-5 record in 2010-11 and a berth in the NCAA Division III Sweet 16. It was the seventh straight trip to the NCAA Tournament for Va. Wesleyan and the 17th consecutive winning season for Macedo.
 
The 2010-11 VaSID Rookie of the Year was one of Macedo’s top players, as freshman D.J. Woodmore helped lead the Marlins to the 25-win season. Woodmore was named the D3Hoops.com National Rookie of the Year as well as to the 2011 DIIINews National All-Freshman Team. He also earned ODAC Rookie of the Year laurels and was tabbed the D3Hoops.com South Region Rookie of the Year as well. Woodmore led Va. Wesleyan in made field goals, made three-pointers, free-throw percentage and scoring. He averaged 13.8 points and 5.2 rebounds per game while knocking down 47.7% of his shots.
 
Mitchell was joined on the VaSID All-State First Team by Hampden-Sydney’s Harrison George, the Apprentice School’s Isaih Harrison, Eastern Mennonite’s Todd Phillips and Christopher Newport’s Conley Taylor. Phillips was the 2010 State Player of the Year and Harrison was a two-time USCAA All-American. George earned First Team All-ODAC honors while Taylor finished the season ranked No. 12 in the nation in scoring.