» 2008-09 D3hoops.com All-Great Lakes Region Team

The College of Wooster's Ian Franks (Greenwich, Ohio / South Central) was honored as one of the top NCAA Div. III men's basketball players within the region, as D3hoops.com placed the sophomore guard on to its All-Great Lakes Region Third Team, and the Web site also tabbed the Fighting Scots' Justin Hallowell (Worthington, Ohio / Thomas Worthington) as the Great Lakes Rookie of the Year.

With Franks's selection, Wooster has now produced an all-region honoree for eight consecutive years – the only team within the Great Lakes to carry such a streak. Franks, who earlier was named first-team all-North Coast Athletic Conference, was one of 16 players recognized this season. He served as the Scots' leading scorer throughout 2008-09, finishing with an average of 15.5 points. Franks demonstrated an ability to get to the foul line, as he drained 115 free throws – tied for the eighth-most in school history – while making 76.7 percent of his attempts, including 84.1 percent after a slow start the first 10 games (25-of-43).

Franks, who spent the majority of time at point guard, also totaled 102 assists and 34 steals, ranking second in the NCAC in the former category. He also made his presence felt around the glass, collecting 4.2 rebounds per game, to go with 13 blocked shots. Franks played particularly well down the stretch, witness averages of 18.3 points, including 14-of-30 3-point shooting (.467), and 4.5 assists over the last 11 games, and he earned a spot on the All-NCAC Tournament Team.

Hallowell's impact at the collegiate level was immediate, with the 6-7 freshman forward performing as one of the elite 3-point shooters in the nation. He made a school-record 94 from behind the arc, or 3.24 per game, which rates 18th in Div. III, while his .514 3-point percentage is even better, currently No. 4. In addition to leading the league in each of those categories, Hallowell wound up third with a .879 free throw percentage (58-of-66), as his shooting efficiency led to 14.2 points per game.

Hallowell, who also averaged 4.7 rebounds and 1.4 assists, played a pivotal role in several of the Scots' most memorable games this year. He connected on his first eight 3-point attempts during a key 89-87 win at Hiram College Feb. 4, and a week later, knocked down a long distance 3-pointer at the end of regulation and scored 30 points in Wooster's 102-92 double-overtime victory over Denison University. Those two games spurred the Scots on to the NCAC regular season championship and then Hallowell earned MVP honors during the NCAC Tournament, highlighted by a 33-point, eight-rebound effort in the finals.

The D3hoops.com all-region teams are voted on by each region's sports information directors.