All-America: Erves third team, Joseph honorable mention

Xavier Gold Rush NAIA All-Americans First Team 1972-73 — Bruce Seals Third Team 1981-82 — Alvin "Bo" Dukes 2006-07 — Shaun Dumas 2008-09 — Shaun Dumas 2012-13 — Denzell Erves Honorable Mention 1971-72 — Bruce Seals 1971-72 — Don "Slick" Watts 1985-86 — Derrick Collins 1987-88 — Juan Mercier 1990-91 — Merlin Peters 2000-01 — David Egans, Kermit Smith 2004-05 — Timothy Green 2007-08 — Shaun Dumas 2010-11 — Devin Andrew 2011-12 — Chris Iles 2012-13 — Wanto Joseph Denzell Erves Wanto Joseph

NEW ORLEANS — Xavier University of Louisiana seniors Denzell Erves and Wanto Joseph were honored Wednesday by the NAIA Men's Basketball Coaches' Association All-America Committee. Erves was named third-team All-America for the 2012-13 season, and Joseph received honorable mention.

Erves is a 6-foot-7 forward from Vicksburg, Miss., and a graduate of Vicksburg High School. Joseph is a 5-9 guard from New Orleans and a graduate of O. Perry Walker High School.

]Erves is the fourth XU men's basketball player to be chosen to third-team All-America or higher and the first since third-team guard Shaun Dumas in 2009. Erves averaged 13.7 points, 9.2 rebounds and 1.3 blocked shots per game this season and ranked third in NAIA Division I with 17 double-doubles, He became XU's career leader with 132 blocked shots — Louis Williams (1979-82) held the previous mark of 130 — and No. 4 with 762 career rebounds.

Joseph averaged 16.2 points, 3.6 rebounds, six assists and 1.9 steals per game. He was one of four NAIA Division I players this season to reach 500 points and 175 assists — the others were first-team All-American Dominique Rambo of Southwestern Assemblies of God, second-team Marshawn Norris of Culver-Stockton and third-team David Rawlinson of West Virginia Tech.

Both Erves and Joseph reached 1,000 career points in the regular-season finale against city rival Dillard. Joseph finished with 1,041 career points, and Erves scored 1,031.

Also earning recognition from the Gulf Coast Athletic Conference were Philander Smith senior forward Alvin Nance on the second team and Tougaloo senior guard Juan Gray, Fisk junior Darrell Miller and SUNO senior guard/forward Clyde Moore with honorable mention.

Coach Dannton Jackson's Gold Rush were 24-8 this season, earning a share of the GCAC regular-season championship for the second consecutive year and qualifying for the Buffalo Funds-NAIA Division I National Championship for the third consecutive season.


By Ed Cassiere, SID
XULAATHLETICS
XAVIER UNIVERSITY OF LOUISIANA