MSU Duo Sweep State's Top College Basketball Player of Year Awards

Varnado Wins Cellular South Howell Trophy And Rack Secures Cellular South Gillom Trophy Honors

(Left to right) MSU Lady Bulldogs Coach Sharon Fanning, former Ole Miss great Peggy Gillom, Alexis Rack and Jarvis Varnado of MSU, former MSU All-American and NBA great Bailey Howell, Jim Richmond of Cellular South and MSU Coach Rick Stansbury are all smiles as they congratulate Varnado and Rack for winning the Cellular South Howell and Gillom Trophies, which honor the state's top male and female collegiate basketball players.

Jackson, MS - (March 30, 2009) – Two Mississippi State University (MSU) players won top honors as the state's best collegiate basketball players during the Cellular South Outstanding Player Awards program Monday night at the Mississippi Sports Hall of Fame and Museum.

MSU center Jarvis Varnado and Lady Bulldogs guard Alexis Rack received the most votes from a panel of 39 print, television and radio journalists for the awards, which are conferred annually in honor of former MSU All-American and retired NBA star Bailey Howell and Peggy Gillom-Granderson, the University of Mississippi's (Ole Miss) associate head coach for women's basketball and all-time leading scorer and rebounder.

Varnado, a 6-foot-9 junior center who led the nation in blocked shots, was chosen over two other finalists from Ole Miss –junior guard David Huertas and freshman guard Terrico White. Rack, an all-Southeastern Conference guard who averaged 14.6 points while leading the Lady Bulldogs to the second round of the NCAA Tournament, beat out two other women's finalists – Pauline Love of University of Southern Mississippi and Bianca Thomas of Ole Miss.

Meanwhile, Varnado and Love were selected as the 2009 Cellular South Fans' Choice Award winners after over 28,000 votes were cast by Mississippi college basketball fans via text messages for their favorite players among the finalists. The athletic departments at USM and MSU each will receive a donation of $2,500 from Cellular South for their players' selection.

"We're very pleased with the caliber of players selected for the Howell and Gillom awards this year," said Jim Richmond, director of Corporate Communications for Cellular South, which has been the title sponsor of the Outstanding Player Awards program honoring the state's best football, baseball and basketball players for the last decade. "Both of these people are not only great players, but they're outstanding individuals with good character and a strong work ethic."

Varnado, the SEC defensive player of the year, averaged 12.9 points and 8.8 rebounds this season, helping MSU compile a 23-13 record and a berth in the NCAA Tournament by winning the SEC Tournament. He blocked a nation-best 170 shots, breaking the SEC single-season record that he shared with former LSU great Shaquille O'Neal.

Rack, a junior guard, started all 31 of the Lady Bulldogs' games this year and led the team in scoring, assists and free throw percentage. She was named to the first-team All-SEC squad by coaches in recognition of her all-round play this year.

About Cellular South

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