Men's Basketball 3/6/2013 11:11:00 AM ArkansasState

A-State's Peterson and Finn Named All-Sun Belt

JONESBORO, Ark. (3/6/13) – Two Arkansas State University men's basketball seniors, Brandon Peterson and Trey Finn have received 2012-13 All-Sun Belt Conference (SBC) Team recognition in an announcement made this Wednesday (March 6) by the conference office.

Peterson was one of five players to attain All-SBC Second-Team honors while Finn claimed third-team accolades as voted on by the conference's 11 head coaches and members of the media. A first, second, and third team consisting of five players apiece comprised the 2012-13 All-Sun Belt Teams.

The SBC Player of the Year was South Alabama's Augustine Rubit and Bruce Massey of Middle Tennessee was recognized as the SBC's Defensive Player of the Year. Louisiana-Lafayette's Shawn Long was tabbed as the Freshman of the Year and Middle Tennessee head coach Kermit Davis earned the Sun Belt's Joe Gottfried Coach of the Year Award for the second straight season.

Peterson, a 6-8 forward, is currently averaging a team-high 9.4 rebounds and a squad third-most 10.2 points per contest (297 pts.) as a starter in all 29 games this season. Peterson leads the Red Wolves this campaign in total rebounds (272), defensive rebounds (180), offensive rebounds (92), blocked shots (36), free throws made (83), and minutes played (956) while tying for top team honors in field goal percentage (.514). The 2012-13 ASU tri-captain not only has recorded 18 double-digit points and 14 double-figure rebound performances to date this season, but has produced both a squad and personal career-best 10 double-doubles.

Peterson finished the regular season third among the Sun Belt Conference leaders for conference-only games in rebounding (8.9 rpg.) while ranking fourth in field-goal percentage (.511) and tied for 10th in blocked shots (1.1 bpg.). Peterson, a SBC Player of the Week selection (2/18), currently is 12th among the conference's all-time leaders with 857 career rebounds and his 159 blocked shots is 19th highest on the league career charts. Nationally, Peterson ranks 31st in rebounds, 38th in double-doubles, and 185th in blocked shots through games of March 3.

A native of Birmingham, Ala., Peterson is only the seventh player in A-State history to amass at least 1,000 points (1.070 pts.) and 800 rebounds (857 rebs.). Peterson, a 2012-13 All-SBC Preseason Second-Team pick, became the 25th ASU player to score 1,000 points and the eighth individual at A-State to compile 800 rebounds in a career.

Finn, who has started in 28 games played in this season, is averaging a team second-best 10.5 points an outing (293 pts.) to date while ranking second among ASU's rebounding leaders with a 4.8 boards per game average (135 rebs.). A 6-2 guard, Finn is second on the team in free throws made (74), three-point field goals made (51), steals (39), and minutes played (932) to date. The Little Rock, Ark., native has produced double-figure points in 15 contests this season while leading or tying for top team scoring honors seven times.

Finn, a 2012-13 ASU tri-captain, closed out this regular season ranking fifth in free-throw percentage (.788) on the SBC leaders chart for conference-only games while being listed eighth in steals (1.5 spg.), 17th in scoring (11.7 ppg.), and 19th in rebounding (5.2 rpg.). The SBC Player of the Week honoree (2/4) and 2012-13 All-SBC Preseason First-Teamer earned the distinction of becoming the 24th player in the program's history to reach the 1,000 career points milestone (1,146 pts.).

The Red Wolves, who earned the number two seed in this weekend's (March 8-11) 2013 Sun Belt Conference Championship Tournament and captured their second SBC West Division title in the last three seasons, will take on the winner of the Florida Atlantic-Troy opening-round tilt this Saturday (March 9) at 9 p.m. (CT) in Hot Springs, Ark. ASU, which has won seven of its last 10 contests, wrapped up the regular season at 18-11 overall with a first-place 12-8 mark in the SBC's West Division.