USCA's Commons, GCSU's Keaton Selected for Division II All-Star Game

SPRINGFIELD, Mass. – USC Aiken's Chris Commons and GCSU's Shaun Keaton have been selected to participate in the East-West NCAA Division II All-Star game which will be played in conjuntion with the Elite Eight on Friday, March 27, in Springfield, Mass. Keaton and Commons were the two players selected from the Southeast Region; each of the eight regions will send two players each. It is the first time in the brief history of the event that all participants from the PBC's region will come from the conference; Augusta State's Tyrekus 'AJ' Bowman will competed last year.

The most decorated player in the history of USC Aiken men’s basketball, Chris Commons will be suiting up for the West team, will be the first Pacer men’s basketball player to participate in the prestigious event. USC Aiken head coach Vince Alexander was the head coach of the East All-Star team in 2008.

Commons informed the Pacer media during a press conference on Friday in regards to the tragic loss of Javonte Clanton that he will play his final contest as a Pacer in Clanton’s memory.

Commons was a part of the most prolific two-year span in USC Aiken men’s basketball history. He was one of the main reasons that the Pacers won 52 games and advanced to the Sweet Sixteen in 2009 for the first time in program history in his two years with the program.

Commons ends his four-year college basketball career with 2,002 total points. The Findlay transfer scored 1,229 of those points in a Pacer uniform. The point total ends Commons’ Pacer career with him No. 2 all-time in scoring in USC Aiken men’s basketball history. Commons averaged 19.2 points per game in 64 games as a Pacer.

The Peach Belt Conference Player of the Year in 2007-08 and 2008-09, Commons concluded USC Aiken’s first ever NCAA Division II Sweet Sixteen appearance averaging 16.8 points per game and 5.8 rebounds per game. Commons shot 53 percent from the floor in 2008-09.

Commons is still in the search for his second straight All-America accolades. He was a consensus All-America choice in 2007-08.

Commons finished the 2008-09 regular season sixth in the Peach Belt Conference in field goal percentage (53.8 percent), 12th in the league in rebounds (6.1 per game), third in the conference in blocked shots (1.85 per game), 11th in offensive rebounds (2.30 per game), 13th in defensive rebounds (3.85 per game) and fifth in minutes played (31.11 per game).

The sixth player to join USC Aiken’s illustrious 1,000-point club earlier this year, Commons became the sixth member of USC Aiken’s illustrious 1,000-point club in a Pacers win over UNC Pembroke in Pembroke, N.C. Commons’ 25 points in the game helped him end the game with 1,016 points. Commons reached the 1,000 points in only 48 games. In the 48 games, Commons had averaged 21.2 points per game.

Keaton wraps up a stellar senior season, getting 20-plus points in his last seven games. He finished his career as the top three-point shooter in GCSU school history, and the sixth-best scorer in the school record-books.

Keaton is the second Bobcat chosen to this all-star program in its four years of existence, as Jeremy Mayweather earned a spot on the first team in 2006.

The all-stars will attend both the NCAA II Men's Basketball Championship semifinals, March 26, and the national championship game, March 28. They will be recognized during halftime of a semifinal game for their accomplishments.