Long Beach State University Athletics
Ware named AP honorable mention All-America
3/28/2011 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
March 28, 2011
LONG BEACH, Calif. - Casper Ware has been named to the Associated Press honorable mention All-America Team. The junior guard is just the second 49er to earn a spot on the team in the last 31 years and only the 16th LBSU player all-time to earn All-American recognition.
Ware (Cerritos, Calif./Gahr HS) joins Aaron Nixon (2007) as the two 49ers to earn honorable mention honors in the last three decades. Before Nixon, a Long Beach State player hadn't claimed All-American honors since Michael Wiley and Francios Wise were named All-Americans in 1980. Ed Ratleff is the only first-team All-American is school history, claiming the honors in both 1972 and 1973. Sam Robinson (1970), George Trapp (1971), Chuck Terry (1972), Roscoe Pondexter (1974), Clifton Pondexter (1974), Glenn McDonald (1974), Leonard Gray (1974), Bob Gross (1975), Lloyd McMillian (1977) and Rickey Williams (1979) are the other 49ers to receive All-American accolades while at Long Beach State.
Ware has received a number of postseason honors since leading the 49ers to the Big West Conference regular season title and a berth in the National Invitation Tournament (NIT). He was selected as both the Big West Conference Player of the Year and the Big West Conference Defensive Player of the Year, the first player in league history to win both awards in the same season. Ware also earned a spot on the National Association of Basketball Coaches (NABC) All-District 9 Team, as well as a place on the U.S. Basketball Writers Association (USBWA) All-District IX Team, the 2011 Lefty Driesell Defensive All-America Team, and the 2011 Lou Henson All-America Team (the mid-major All-America team).
Ware led Long Beach State in scoring (17.2 ppg), assists (150) and steals (56), while also finishing second in 3-pointers made (75). Ware finished the season second in the Big West Conference in scoring, while also ranking second in assists (4.4 apg), fourth in steals (1.6 spg), sixth in free throw percentage (.810), fifth in 3-point field goals made (2.2 per game) and seventh in 3-point field goal percentage (.381). He ranked among LBSU's all-time single-season leaders in free throws made (3rd), free throws attempted (6th), 3-point field goals made (7th), 3-pointers attempted (7th), assists (9th), and steals (11th).
Ware was one of 20 finalists for the Bob Cousy award honoring the nation's best point guard, and he claimed Big West Conference Player of the week honors once after leading the 49ers to wins at UC Davis and Cal State Northridge. Defensively he spearheaded an attack that, in Big West games, helped limit opponents to 60 points or less on seven occasions, all resulting in 49er victories. LBSU was 12-0 in conference play when it held the opponent under 70 points.
