Thomas                                             Garrett

Garrett, Thomas Earn NJCAA All-American Honors

MORRISTOWN, Tennessee – The Walters State men’s and women’s basketball teams are proud to announce a pair of NJCAA All-Americans.

Dana Garrett was chosen to the second team after a tremendous sophomore season. The St. George (S.C.) native was second on the team in scoring at 12 points a game while leading the team with 7.6 rebounds and 3.3 assists.

Garrett shot 50.6 percent from the field and was named MVP of the TJCCAA Eastern Division and the Region VII tournament while sharing the TJCCAA co-MVP award.

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This is not only a big honor for Dana but for the basketball program,” Walters State coach Dave Kragel said. “Dana had a terrific two seasons here and we’re proud of what she accomplished.

“Dana played with a lot of good players here, which helped her achieve this accolade. She’s an unselfish player and that’s just one of the things that makes her special.”

Garrett was quite thrilled with the new status of being an All-American.

“It’s nice to know that people noticed the way I played,” Garrett said. “Playing here at Walters State has helped become a better player and person.

“I really believe that if I wasn’t playing here, I probably wouldn’t have received this honor.”

Freshman guard Alvin ‘A.J.’ Thomas was named as a third-team selection. The former standout at Memphis Westwood completed his first year as a Senator averaging a team-high 18.4 points per game. Thomas hit 45.8 percent of his shots, 39.8 percent from 3-point range and 83.5 percent from the charity stripe.

Thomas’ best game of the season came in the Region VII tournament when he tallied a career-best 35 points on 9-of-17 shooting from the field, including hitting 7-of-9 from 3-point distance.

“It’s a blessing to receive such an honor,” Thomas said. “As a player, you can’t expect to be an All-American, You just have to go out there, play hard and hope people appreciate the way you play.”

Thomas was also quite appreciative of his coach, Bill Carlyle.

“Coach Carlyle teaches you the right way to play the game,” Thomas said. “He helped me mature as a player and as a person. I appreciate him for that.”

Carlyle said Thomas’ passion for the game is second to none.

“A.J. plays the game like the next minute will be his last,” Carlyle said. “Having that type of passion really helps separate him from the pack.