University Southern California Trojans
Simmons, Vucevic And Jones Earn Pac-10 Honors
March 07, 2011 | Men's Basketball
March 7, 2011
USC's Marcus Simmons was named Pac-10 Defensive Player of the Year, Nikola Vucevic First-Team All-Pac-10 and Maurice Jones was selected to the Pac-10 All-Freshman Team, it was announced today (March 7) by Commissioner Larry Scott.
Simmons has been key in leading USC's stingy defense which allows a Pac-10 low of 62.9 points per game. The senior has frequently been called upon to guard the opponent's top scorer and held them to off-shooting nights and well below their season averages, including Texas' Jordan Hamilton (4-for-13, .308), Tennessee's Scotty Hopson (1-for-5, .200 with 6 turnovers), Lehigh's C.J. McCollum (2-for-8, .250) and Northern Arizona's Cameron Jones (4-for-14, .286). In Pac-10 play, he helped hold several All-Pac-10 performers below their season shooting percentages like Washington State's Klay Thompson (12-for-35, .343), Stanford's Jeremy Green (5-for-22, .228), UCLA's Tyler Honeycutt (6-for-16, .375) and Washington's Isaiah Thomas (8-for-20, .400).
Simmons has started every game for USC this season and averages 4.5 points and 2.8 rebounds per game. He becomes the second Trojan to be named the Pac-10 Defensive Player of the Year, joining Taj Gibson who won in 2009.
Vucevic was named First Team All-Pac-10 as he is the league's third-leading scorer at 17.7 points per game and top rebounder with 10.3 per game average. The junior has posted 20 double-doubles (double-digit points and rebound games), which ranks fifth nationally. Vucevic is attempting to become the first Trojan to average a double-double for a season since Jaha Wilson accomplished the feat during the 1994-95 season. He also ranks among the conference top 10 in field goal percentage (10th, .509), blocked shots (4th, 39), offensive rebounds (4th, 92), defensive rebounds (1st, 227) and minutes per game (2nd, 34.9).
Jones has averaged 9.9 points, 2.6 rebounds and 3.3 assists as a freshman. He also has 66 steals which rank eighth on the Pac-10 all-time freshman steals list and are the most by a Trojan in a season since Errick Craven had 73 steals during the 2002-03 season. Jones leads all Pac-10 freshman in minutes played (1083, tops among all players), steals and assists (103), is tied for second in free throw attempts (99), third in points per game, fourth in three-pointers made (38) and was ninth in rebounds per game (2.6).
In addition to these conference honors, Simmons and Vucevic earned national accolades as Simmons was named to the FOXSports.com All-Defensive Team and Vucevic to the All-America Fourth Team.
Simmons was joined on the All-Defensive Team by North Carolina center John Henson, Florida State forward Chris Singleton, Texas guard Dogus Balbay and South Carolina forward Sam Muldrow.
Vucevic was joined on the Forth Team FOXSports.com All-America team by Texas foward Jordan Hamilton, Kansas State guard Jacob Pullen, Saint Mary's guard Mickey McConnell and Providence guard Marshon Brooks.
