March 11, 2008

2007-08 All-Independent Team & Final Stats

OREM, UT - NJIT's 6-foot-8 forward Nesho Milosevic was named to the 2007-08 men's basketball Division I Independent second team, coordinator Brent Johnson of Utah Valley announced.

Milosevic, a native of Bar, Montenegro, ranks 11th among independent individual leaders in points per game with (12.5 ppg) while leading the Highlanders with 363 points and 234 rebounds (8.1 ppg).

Nesho averaged (14.3ppg) and (9.2 rpg) in 9 games vs. Division I Independents, including 4 double-doubles while averaging (17.3 ppg) and (10 rpg) in NJIT's seven February games.

Overall, he scored double-figures in 19 out of 29 games while recording eight double-doubles on the season. He scored a personal-high 27 points against Utah Valley matching the highest scoring game by an NJIT player since the program moved up to Division I competition at the start of the 2006-07 season.

He pulled down 16 rebounds at Maine, which was the most ever for NJIT in a Division I game, surpassing his own mark of 15 set last season against IPFW on February 17.

Milosevic was also named Independent Player of Week twice this season for his outstanding performances.

Senior captain Kraig Peters and freshman guards Justin Garris and Jheryl Wilson earned Honorable Mention recognition.

Peters, ranks 13th among independent individual leaders in points per game (11.8 ppg). This season he combined for 341 points, 117 rebounds (4 rpg) and ranked second on the team with 43 assists.

In 9 games vs. Division I Independents, he averaged (14.7 ppg) and (4.3 rpg). The senior captain scored a career-high 26 points at Longwood and earlier scored what had been his Division I career-high 21 points against Utah Valley on Feb. 2 and against Rutgers on Dec. 13.

In the December 13 game against Big East Conference opponent Rutgers, he scored 21 points, plus 11 rebounds, 4 steals and 3 assists. Peters ranks 14th in the NJIT 1,000-point club with 1,179.

Wilson, whose defensive ability shone best against Chicago State's great scoring guard, David Holston who scored 6 points in the teams' first meeting and 15 in the second meeting, with Wilson drawing the primary man-to-man defensive assignment for NJIT against the nation's 10th-leading scorer.

Wilson, a tough player and good on the ball defender, scored a career-high 16 points against Army on December 6 while dishing out a personal-best six assists at Chicago State on January 19. Wilson led NJIT with 68 assists and ranked third on the team with 26 steals.

Garris, an athletic freshman, scored 13 points - a career-high - on three different occasions, the most recent against Chicago State on February 16. He ranked third on the team with 204 points (7.1 pg) while leading the team in steals with 38.

Ryan Toolson from Utah Valley was named Player of the Year; Utah Valley's Jordan Brady was Defensive Player of the Year; Presbyterian's Al'Lonzo earned Newcomer of the Year and Texas-Pan American's Tom Schuberth was named Coach of the Year.

The end of the year independent awards are nominated and voted on by sports information directors and head coaches at nine NCAA Division I Independent schools.