March 1, 2010

MILWAUKEE - Ricky Franklin of the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee men's basketball team has earned a spot on the All-Horizon League Second Team.

The full list of postseason awards was announced today by the league office.

Franklin's efforts helped the Panthers to fourth place in the league standings. UWM will open Speedway Horizon League Championship play Tuesday at 7 p.m. against UIC.

Franklin leads UWM in scoring and assists while standing second on the team in rebounds. He had a six-game run in January that saw him make 37 of 70 shots overall, including 21 of 43 from three-point range, while averaging 19.7 points per game. He also has posted ten 20-point efforts this season, including 20 or more in three consecutive games from Jan. 16-24.

He has shouldered much of the backcourt burden in the absence of the injured Tone Boyle, playing every minute of a game three times this season, including all 45 minutes of an overtime win over Wright State in January. He leads the league in minutes played and played 37 or more minutes in 13 of 18 league contests this year.

Franklin also finds himself among the Horizon League's active career leaders in nearly every statistical category. He is third among active players in points (1,260) and is also third in three-pointers (189) and assists (321). Plus, he ranks fourth in steals (111) and fifth in rebounds (475).

As expected, regular season champion Butler dominated the awards, with Gordon Hayward named player of the year and Brad Stevens coach of the year. Hayward was joined on the all-league first team by teammates Shelvin Mack and Matt Howard along with Green Bay's Rahmon Fletcher and Cleveland State's Norris Cole. Joining Franklin on the second team were Valpo's Brandon Wood and Cory Johnson, Wright State's Vaughn Duggins and Detroit's Chase Simon.

The all-newcomer team included nothing but transfers, with Wood, Johnson and Simon joined by Eli Holman and Xavier Keeling of Detroit. Wood was named the newcomer of the year.

The league's all-defensive team included Duggins, Butler's Willie Veasley and Ronald Nored, Detroit's Woody Payne and Cleveland State's D'Aundray Brown. Nored and Payne shared the League Defensive Player of the Year honor, while Loyola's Walt Gibler was named the League Sixth Man of the Year.