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UVa-Wise Highland Cavaliers Men's Basketball

Cavs’ Rackauskas Named AAC Men’s Basketball Freshman of the Year
Blackwell Earns Academic All-AAC

February 22, 2006

Wise, VA – Zydrunas Rackauskas proved to be one of the biggest reasons for The University of Virginia’s College at Wise men’s basketball team’s move up the Appalachian Athletic Conference ranks. Rackauskas provided the inside muscle and averaged almost a double-double on his way to be named AAC Freshman of the Year.

The first-year standout helped the Highland Cavaliers improve by 10 games heading into the AAC tournament on Wednesday afternoon. UVa-Wise posted an injury-riddled 3-28 mark a year ago but have rebounded for a 13-17 campaign on a squad with one senior and one junior.

Rackauskas finished the regular season as the second-leading boardman of the league and team leader with 9.1 caroms per game. He was also third on the Cavs with a 13.4-point per contest average. The Kaunas, Lithuania native led UVa-Wise in rebounding 22 times and scoring 10 games. The 6-4 forward recorded 12 double-doubles, second most in the AAC, including three times having more than 20 points and 15 caroms in a game.

The Jeffersontown (Ky.) High graduate was named the AAC Player of the Week one time during the season. He posted a season-high 27 points to go with 10 rebounds in the season finale at King College. Rackauskas grabbed his most rebounds in the first meeting in Wise with 17 boards while scoring 22 tallies. For the year, The first-year player rattled off five 20-point efforts and 14 double figure rebounding games. He has 35 assists, 13 steals and five blocked shots to round out his regular season.

Sophomore point guard Joey Blackwell (Kingsport, TN/Dobyns-Bennett) was the other AAC award winner as he earned academic all-league status. Blackwell started 18 of 30 games and carries a 4.9 ppg average. He has handed out 65 assists and stole 23 balls. The second-year starter pumped in five of seven long-range attempts for a career-high 19 points in a home win over Bryan College for one of six double figure scoring affairs.