Feb. 19, 2004
FAIRFIELD, Conn. -- Deng Gai (Sudan) earned a spot on the National Association of Basketball Coaches (NABC) All-District I team for the second straight season. The selection for all 15 All-District teams is by vote of the association's members.
Gai led the team in scoring with 13.3 points per game through the first 16 games, before an ankle injury caused him to miss the last nine contests. The injury occurred in the first minute of the second half against Manhattan College on January 18. Before his injury, Gai was ranked third in the nation with 4.1 blocks per game, after leading the country in that category for the first eight weeks of the season.
The junior was also the team's leading rebounder with 137 caroms, and still leads the team with an 8.6 rebounding average. He recorded six double doubles this season, including 17 points and a career-high 18 rebounds against Hawaii in the Rainbow Classic championship game. Gai tied a Rainbow Classic record with 16 blocks in three games.
Awards are nothing new for the forward, earning pre-season All-Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC) by vote of the coaches, as well as from Street & Smith, The Sporting News & Athlon's for the 2003-04 campaign.
Fairfield University, under sixth-year Head Coach Tim O'Toole, owns a 16-9 overall record and a 9-5 MAAC mark. The team plays Iona College on February 19 at the Arena at Harbor Yard with tip-off scheduled for 7:30 pm. For ticket information to any Fairfield University basketball game, please call (203) 254-4103.
NABC Division I All-District Team - District I First Team Second Team Ryan Gomes, Providence Dawan Robinson, Rhode Island Emeka Okafor, UConn Jose Barea, Northeastern Ben Gordon, UConn Deng Gai, Fairfield Taylor Coppenrath, Vermont Chaz Carr, Boston University Craig Smith, Boston College Rashaun Freeman, UMass
