Matt Howard, Shelvin Mack Named All-Horizon League

INDIANAPOLIS, IND. -- Butler senior Matt Howard was named first team and junior Shelvin Mack was picked second team on the 2010-11 Horizon League Men’s Basketball All-League Team, released by the league office on Monday (Feb. 28).  Both Butler players were repeat selections on the All-League squad, chosen by league coaches, media and sports information directors.

Howard, Butler’s leading scorer (16.8) and rebounder (7.9), earned first team All-League recognition for the third consecutive year, after being named second team All-League as a freshman.  He’s the 12th player in league history and the second Butler player (Chad Tucker, 1985-88, was the first) to earn first team All-League recognition three times.  Mack, who leads the Bulldogs in assists (111) and stands second in scoring (15.3), was a first team All-League pick a year ago.

The two Butler players helped lead the Bulldogs to a league-record fifth consecutive regular season championship.  Butler shared this year’s title with Milwaukee and Cleveland State.

Joining Howard on the All-League first team were Norris Cole of Cleveland State, Vaughn Duggins of Wright State, Anthony Hill of Milwaukee and Brandon Wood of Valparaiso.  The remaining players on the All-League second team were Rahmon Fletcher of Green Bay, N’Gai Evans of Wright State and Ray McCallum and Eli Holman, both of Detroit.

Howard, the 2008-09 Horizon League Player of the Year, also was one of two Butler players named to the Horizon League All-Defensive Team.  The 6-8 forward, who earned All-Defensive Team recognition for the second time in three years, joined teammate Ronald Nored on the defensive honor squad.  Nored, last year’s co-Defensive Player of the Year, earned All-Defensive recognition for the second straight year.

Also named to the All-Defensive Team were Cole, Holman and Trevon Harmon of Cleveland State.  Selected as the Horizon League All-Newcomer Team were McCallum, Kaylon Williams of Milwaukee, Paul Carter of UIC, Alec Brown of Green Bay and Damian Eargle of Youngstown State.

Cole, who leads the league in scoring (20.7), assists (6.4) and steals (2.2), was named Horizon League Player of the Year and Defensive Player of the Year.  McCallum was tabbed Newcomer of the Year, while Loyola’s Geoff McCammon was named Sixth Man of the Year.  Milwaukee head coach Rob Jeter was selected as the league’s Coach of the Year.

The 2011 Horizon League Men’s Basketball Championship begins Tuesday (March 1) with four first-round games at campus sites.  The tournament moves to Milwaukee, Wis., and U. S. Cellular Arena for a second-round doubleheader on Friday (March 4) and the semifinals on Saturday (March 5).  Butler, the #2 seed, will play its first game in the tournament on Saturday at 6 p.m. (ET).  The league championship game will be played at the site of the highest remaining seed on Tuesday, March 8, at 9 p.m. (ET).

2010-11 All-Horizon League First Team
Norris Cole, Cleveland State
Matt Howard, Butler
Vaughn Duggins, Wright State
Anthony Hill, Milwaukee
Brandon Wood, Valparaiso

All-League Second Team
Shelvin Mack, Butler
Rahmon Fletcher, Green Bay
Ray McCallum, Detroit
Eli Holman, Detroit
N'Gai Evans, Wright State

All-Newcomer Team
Ray McCallum, Detroit
Kaylon Williams, Milwaukee
Paul Carter, UIC
Alex Brown, Green Bay
Damian Ergle, Youngstown State

All-Defensive Team
Norris Cole, Cleveland State
Eli Holman, Detroit
Trevon Harmon, Cleveland State
Ronald Nored, Butler
Matt Howard, Butler

Player of the Year:  Norris Cole, Cleveland State
Newcomer of the Year:  Ray McCallum, Detroit
Defensive Player of the Year:  Norris Cole, Cleveland State
Sixth Man of the Year:  Geoff McCammon, Loyola
Coach of the Year:  Rob Jeter, Milwaukee