Daniel Russ splits three Taylor University defenders in the championship game of the 2004 Kiwanis-Wittenberg Holiday Classic.
SPRINGFIELD, Ohio — After a breakout season in which he was at his best in his team's biggest games, Wittenberg University men's basketball standout Daniel Russ has been selected first-team All-Great Lakes Region and third-team All-America by the National Association of Basketball Coaches (NABC).
Russ, a 6-9 junior post player, averaged 14.3 points and 6.8 rebounds per game in 2004-05, his second season as a starter. Those totals were both second-best on the team, and he also led the Tigers and finished second in the North Coast Athletic Conference with 38 blocked shots on the season. In addition, Russ was third on the team in assists with 43, first in steals with 29 and second in field goal percentage at .551. His 37 points in a triple overtime loss to Wooster on Feb. 12 was the highest single-game scoring total by any player in the NCAC in 2004-05.
Russ earned first-team All-NCAC honors, after making the second team a year ago, and was recognized as the 2005 NCAC Player of the Year, the third Wittenberg player to earn that lofty status in the university's 16 years in the conference. He added all-tournament team honors at the season-opening Washington University Lopata Classic and the Kiwanis-Wittenberg Holiday Classic, and he capped his season with the NCAC Tournament MVP award.
Russ becomes the 11th different Wittenberg men's basketball player to earn NABC All-America honors and the first since Ryan Taylor garnered second-team recognition in 2001. The Tigers have a total of 17 All-America awards since the NABC started handing out the national awards in 1967.
"What an interesting story Daniel Russ provides," said Wittenberg Head Coach Bill Brown, class of 1973, who has a phenomenal 275-66 record in 12 years leading his alma mater. "He was cut from his freshmen team in high school, played very little on his high school JV team as a sophomore, and now has developed into an outstanding college player who very deservedly has received this All-American recognition.
"In addition, when I informed Dan of his selection, he was very quick in recognizing that individual honors in Division III basketball rarely will happen for a person unless he has the teammates that make for a successful and achieving team."
The Tigers finished 25-4 overall in 2004-05, including a 14-2 mark in the NCAC regular season, which was good for a second-place finish. Wittenberg won the NCAC Tournament and advanced to a record 23rd NCAA Division III Tournament before ending its season with a 75-68 overtime loss to John Carroll in the second round. Three of Wittenberg's four losses during the season were in double or triple overtime.
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