Eppink Named East Freshman of Year

Comets' Salinas Part of First Team All-East Division Squad

RICHARDSON, TX - Senior guard Martin Salinas and freshman post Jordan Eppink (pictured at right) highlighted four University of Texas at Dallas selections on the 2007 All-American Southwest Conference men's basketball team.

Salinas, the four-year player from Alief who became UTD's alltime leading scorer this season with 1336 career points, was a first-team All-ASC East Division selection at guard. Eppink, the 6-5 freshman from Spring, was selected the ASC East Division Freshman of the Year.

Salinas led UTD with an 18.8 ppg scoring average, adding 89 three-point FG's to his school-record 183. He was a second-team All-East Division honoree last year.

Eppink was UTD's third-leading scorer at 9.5 ppg and led the Comets with 155 rebounds and a .622 shooting percentage from the floor.

Also honored from UTD was senior guard Travis Carruthers of Georgetown (pictured near right), who was UTD's second-leading scorer at 12.5 ppg, hitting 43 3-pointers and among the nation's leaders with 155 assists on the season. Carruthers was named to the ASC East Division 2nd team.

Freshman Scott Rodgers of The Woodlands (pictured far right) joined Eppink on the five-member East Division All-Freshman team. Rodgers was UTD's top player off the bench, averaging 6.8 ppg.

Eppink and Rodgers are both attending UTD as Academic Excellence Scholars. "They are both the embodiment of the scholar-athlete,” Coach Terry Butterfield said.

UTD finished the 2006-07 season with a program-best 18-8 record, but was eliminated in the first round of the ASC Championship Tournament in a one-point loss to McMurry.

See entire squad at ASC MEN'S BASKETBALL HOME PAGE.