Men's Basketball Release (2004-05) - All-ODAC - Guilford College

• GUILFORD'S ATKINSON NAMED ODAC MEN'S BASKETBALL FRESHMAN OF THE YEAR; LAWHORN EARNS SECOND-TEAM ALL-ODAC

      SALEM, VA (2/18/05) -- Guilford College's Kerry Atkinson earned the Old Dominion Athletic Conference's (ODAC) Freshman of the Year Award and honorable mention all-league laurels Friday night at the league's annual awards banquet. Junior teammate Genaro Lawhorn received Second Team All-ODAC recognition. The league's men's basketball coaches nominated and selected those honored at the banquet.

      Randolph-Macon junior forward Justin Wansley took home ODAC Player of the Year honors. Bridgewater's Bill Leatherman received the league's Coach of the Year prize.

      Atkinson becomes the third player in Guilford's men's basketball history to receive the league's Freshman of the Year Award. Jon Evans won the prize in 1998 and Tharon Robinson was the ODAC's top rookie in 1996.

      Atkinson, a 6-3, 165-pound forward, averages 13.0 points and 4.0 rebounds in 18.3 minutes per game in 23 games. He stands second to Lawhorn among Guilford's scoring leaders and ranks 11th in the ODAC in scoring and sixth in steals. A reserve in all but one game this season, Atkinson has scored at least 10 points in 16 contests, including the last 15 in a row. He ranks eighth in the league with 14.8 points per game in ODAC tilts. Atkinson scored a career-high 29 points and added 10 rebounds in the Quakers' 83-78 overtime setback at Hampden-Sydney Jan. 16. He received the league's Player of the Week Award for the week of Jan. 9 after leading Guilford's scorers in home wins over league leaders Randolph-Macon and nationally ranked Virginia Wesleyan.

A 6-6, 320-pound center, Lawhorn leads the Quakers with career-best numbers in scoring (13.2 ppg.), rebounding (5.3 rpg) and field-goal percentage (.567). His shooting percentage ranks fifth among the league leaders. He stands 10th in the ODAC in scoring and 14th in rebounds. Lawhorn has led Guilford in scoring eight times and has 19 games with 10 points or more. He has two double-doubles, including a career-high 26-point, 10-rebound performance in the Quakers' Nov. 23 win over crosstown rival Greensboro in the Greensboro Coliseum.

      Atkinson and Lawhorn have helped second-year head coach Tom Palombo's club to a 14-11 record (9-9 ODAC) headed into Saturday's ODAC Tournament Quarterfinal tilt with Bridgewater in the Salem (VA) Civic Center. Guilford is the sixth seed in the eight-team field. Bridgewater is the third seed. The winner advances to Sunday's semifinal game against the winner of Saturday's #2 Hampden-Sydney-#7 Eastern Mennonite contest.