Spartan Named D3Hoops.com All-Region

AURORA, Ill. March 15, 2007 - D3hoops.com announced the sixth-annual D3hoops.com All-Region team for Division III men's basketball. The Aurora University Spartan men’s basketball team placed one member on the All-Midwest Region Team.

Junior forward Larry Welton (Chicago, IL/Thornwood HS) was tabbed as a First-Team selection. Welton continued to add to his legacy at AU during his junior season, which included moving into the top five on the AU all-time scoring list with 1,736 points, which places him fifth. The all-time leading scorer is AU legend Mickey Johnson with 2,453 points.

Welton helped lead the Spartan men to a 25-3 record (the 25 wins are an AU school record) and a 16-2 record in the NAC, including winning the regular season and tournament championships. The Spartans advanced to the NCAA Division III championship but fell to Calvin College 69-68 in AU’s Thornton Gymnasium.

Welton averaged 20.0 points and 6.7 rebounds per game, en route to being named Northern Athletics Conference Player of the Year and First-Team All-Conference. Both awards mark the third-consecutive year that Welton has been recognized for his tremendous on court play. The previous two seasons came in the former Northern Illinois-Iowa Conference.

In his three seasons at AU, Welton tallied double-figure scoring outputs in 80 of the 84 contests, while tallying 20 or more points 46 times in his career.

Players were nominated by the sports information directors at the various schools, who were contacted several times as the season wound down to remind them to make their players eligible. The ballot was then made available to SIDs, who voted for ten players in their region. SIDs voted for six frontcourt players and four backcourt players and the top vote-getters at each position were named to the All-Region team.

"We are thankful to the sports information directors across Division III who took the time to nominate and vote to provide broader recognition of these worthy student-athletes," said D3hoops.com publisher Pat Coleman. "Their continued help and participation is integral to the All-Region team and everything else we do."

-END-