April 18, 2008

EAST RUTHERFORD, NJ - Wagner College senior basketball standouts Mark Porter (Atlantic City, NJ/ St. Augustine Prep) and Durell Vinson (Vineland, NJ/ St. Augustine Prep) were named to the 2007-08 All-Met Division I men's college basketball second-team on Thursday evening at the Giants Stadium Club.

Mark Porter

Porter capped his brilliant career this past season by being named First-Team All-Northeast Conference (NEC) and was also named to the NEC All-Tournament team. He led the Seahawks in scoring at 16.3 points and in assists with 5.5 per game and finished in the Top 10 in the conference in seven different categories.

The 6-2 guard scored in double-figures in 26 games, including a stretch of 12 straight and concluded his career by scoring in double-figures in 16 of his last 17 games and topped the 20-point mark 10 times. highlighted by a career-high 28-point outing in double-OT win over Sacred Heart (2/14). He also had a career-high 13-assist game vs. Maryland Eastern Shore (12/15) and registered four double-doubles.

Porter finished his Wagner career ranked among the Top 10 in 10 statistical categories at the school, including eighth all-time in scoring (1,577 points), steals (152) and blocks (84), is one of just two players in Northeast Conference history to have amassed 500 career rebounds and 500 assists. He started 114 games during his Wagner career and is just one of six NEC players all-time to have scored 1,500 points and registered 500 assists.

Durell Vinson

Vinson was also a first-team All-NEC performer, who averaged a double-double at 13.6 points and an NEC-leading 11.5 rebounds per game, a figure that was ranked third in the nation. The 6-7 Vinson was second in the NEC in FG percentage (.588) and recorded 14 double-doubles. He scored career-high 27 points vs. William & Mary (11/20) and scored 20 or more points on five occasions, including 22-point out-puts vs. Sacred Heart (1/5), St. Francis (NY) (12/8) and in the season-opening win over Lafayette (11/9).

He pulled down a career-high 20 rebounds vs. FDU (1/27), had a 19-rebound effort vs. Monmouth (2/16), an 18-rebound game vs. Brown (11/28) and a 17-rebound outing vs. Maryland Eastern Shore (12/15). Vinson led the team in rebounding 24 times with Wagner going 17-7 in those games and led the team in scoring eight times with Wagner going 7-1 in those games.

The league's most dominant inside force, Vinson finished his sterling career as Wagner's number four all-time rebounder (893) and shot-blocker (118).

Jason Thompson, A 6-10 senior center from Rider was named the winner of the Haggerty Award, which is presented annually to the All-Met Division I men's college basketball Player of the Year.

ALL-MET FIRST TEAM
Jason Thompson		Rider
Antoine Agudio		Hofstra
Brian Laing		Seton Hall
Anthony Mason Jr.	St. John's
Bryant Dunston		Fordham
John Baumann		Columbia
ALL-MET SECOND TEAM
Durell Vinson		Wagner
Mark Porter		Wagner
Ryan Thompson		Rider
Jarell Brown            Army
Manny Ubilla		FDU
Jaytornah Wisseh	LIU
ALL-MET THIRD TEAM
Todd Sowell		St. Peter's
Eugene Harvey		Seton Hall
Charles Jenkins		Hofstra
Marcus Stout		Fordham
Antoine Pearson		Manhattan
Jonathan Han		Fairfield