THIAGO CORDEIRO NAMED SECOND-TEAM DAKTRONICS
ALL-SOUTH REGION SELECTION

        RUSSELLVILLE, Arkansas – Arkansas Tech senior center Thiago Cordeiro was named a Second-Team Daktronics All-South Region selection late Thursday evening.

The Daktronics All-Region honor comes a week after Cordeiro was named a First-Team All-Gulf South Conference West Division selection and four days after he was named to the GSC All-Tournament Team.

“What a nice honor for Thiago. He had a very good season for us and was a difference in the paint,” Wonder Boys Head Coach Mark Downey said. “He is very deserving of all the honors he’s received.”

The Daktronics All-South Region team is voted on by the Sports Information Directors from the schools in the South Region.

Cordeiro, who is a transfer from the University of Dayton and a native of Recife, Brazil, earns Second-Team All-South Region honors after averaging 11.6 points, 5.6 rebounds and a GSC-best 2.7 blocks per game, which is tied for eighth nationally in the latest NCAA D-II statistics. On the season, Cordeiro has scored in double figures in 18 games, including three 20-plus point games and has had a team-best four double-doubles. He set a new single-game record for blocked shots twice during the regular season as he blocked a then-record seven shots against Ouachita Baptist on Jan. 22 and then blocked a new single-game record eight shots in Tech’s 86-81 overtime win over Delta State on Feb. 21. In addition to holding the school’s single-game blocked shot record, Cordeiro also set a new single-season record for blocked shots as he has blocked 80 shots this season, which bettered the old record of 76 held by David Ross (1988-89). He also leads the GSC in field goal percentage at 62 percent and is also shooting 71 percent from the free throw line.

Joining Cordeiro on the All-Region second-team is Flagler’s Ben DeLaCruz, Nove Southeastern’s Tim Coenraad, North Alabama’s Thomas Fraise, St. Leo’s Jordan Paris, Delta State’s Chad Akins and Tampa’s Rashad Callaway.

Christian Brothers’ Nick Kohs highlights the Daktronics All-South First Team as he was named the South Region Player of the Year. Other first team selections were Valdosta State’s Tyrone Curnell, North Alabama’s Kenny Johnson, Rollins’ Nick Wolf and Lynn’s Chris Hill.

Cordeiro and his Wonder Boy teammates will return to action on Saturday, March 14, when they face 14th-ranked Benedict in the first round of the NCAA Division II South Regional Tournament in Lakeland, Fla. Tip-off is set for 7:30 p.m. CDT at the Jenkins Fieldhouse on the Florida Southern College campus.

 -- Tech Athletics --