March 1, 2012

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. - Samford University basketball players Jeffrey Merritt and Drew Windler were both honored by College Sports Madness on Thursday as the Bulldog standouts were named by the publication to the Southern Conference's Fourth Team.

Jeffrey Merritt, Samford's team captain and 6-foot-6 senior from Oklahoma City, Okla., has started in all 29 games this season and is averaging 8.3 points, 6.6 rebounds and 3.5 assists per contest. With his team-high total of 102 assists this year, Merritt became the first Bulldog to register 100 or more assists in a season since Travis Peterson accomplished the feat with 107 during the 2007-08 campaign.

Merritt will make his 41st-straight start Friday in a streak that began Jan. 27, 2011, at Elon. He has started in 89 of the team's last 91 games dating back to the beginning of his sophomore season in 2009-10.

Already this season, Merritt has tallied a team-high four double-doubles this season in games against Youngstown State (11 pts., 10 reb.), Lindsey Wilson (11 pts., 10 reb.), Appalachian State (14 pts, 10 reb.) and UNCG (15 pts, 11 reb.).

Drew Windler, the Bulldogs' 6-foot-9 center from South Milwaukee, Wis., leads Samford in scoring this season with an average of 14.2 points per game. He is also the Bulldogs' top shot-blocker and is pulling down 3.8 rebounds per contest.

In the final SoCon standings, Windler finished the season ranked second in 3-point field-goal percentage (43.6), fifth in 3-point field-goals made (2.0 pg.), eighth in scoring (14.2 ppg.), 10th in field-goal percentage (48.7) and 13th in free-throw percentage (75.4).

Windler is averaging 16.6 points and 3.9 rebounds per game in the Bulldogs' last 14 outings, and has started in 29 of the team's last 30 games dating all the way back to Samford's SoCon Tournament game versus Furman on March 4, 2011.

Last week, Windler dropped in a career-high 27 points at Western Carolina on Feb. 23, as he finished 8-of-15 from the field, 4-of-6 from 3-point range and 7-of-8 from the free-throw line.

The Samford University basketball team will next be in action Friday at 5 p.m. (CST) as the Bulldogs square off against the Furman Paladins in the opening round of the 2012 SoCon Tournament to be held at the newly-renovated U.S. Cellular Center in downtown Asheville, N.C.

2012 College Sports Madness
SoCon All-Conference Teams

First Team
De'Mon Brooks, Davidson
Eric Ferguson, Georgia Southern
Mike Groselle, The Citadel
Andrew Lawrence, College of Charleston
Antwaine Wiggins, College of Charleston

Second Team
Jake Cohen, Davidson
Kevin Giltner, Wofford
Brad Loesing, Wofford
Trevis Simpson, UNCG
Trent Wiedeman, College of Charleston

Third Team
Omar Carter, Appalachian State
Jack Isenbarger, Elon
Harouna Mutombo, Western Carolina
Lucas Troutman, Elon
Andre Williamson, Appalachian State

Fourth Team
Jeffrey Merritt, Samford
Willie Powers, Georgia Southern
Trey Sumler, Western Carolina
Drew Windler, Samford
Drazen Zlovaric, Chattanooga

Player of the Year
De'Mon Brooks, Davidson

Freshman of the Year
Karl Cochran, Wofford

Coach of the Year
Charlton Young, Georgia Southern