Lander's Tolbert, Montevallo's Rivera Named All-Americans

Lander's Dwight Tolbert and Montevallo's D.J. Rivera are among the 16 players nationwide that were named All-Americans by the National Association of Basketball Coaches (NABC).  With that announcement, the Peach Belt Conference has had two NABC All-Americans in four of the past five years and for two years in a row.

Rivera was named an All-American by the NABC, Daktronics and Basketball Times. He was a First Team All-PBC selection, First Team Daktronics All-Region selection and a NABC First Team All-District selection. He was named to the PBC All-Tournament Team and was named the Most Outstanding Player at the NCAA Southeast Regional Tournament. He leads the PBC in points per game with 21.8 and steals per game with 2.5. He currently ranks sixth in scoring in the NCAA and 13th in steals. He has scored in double-figures in all but one game in a UM uniform and has 20, 20-plus point performances this season. He broke the UM NCAA record for free throws made in a game with 14 and free throw percentage in a game going 14-of-14 from the charity stripe earlier this season. He also recently broke the UM single season scoring record with 698 points which bested the record set by Greg Brown during the 2006-07 season of 694 points. He currently sits at 712.

Rivera is currently leading the Falcons to the NCAA Division II National Championship game, which will be played on Saturday.

Tolbert became one of the Bearcats most decorated players when he helped lead the basketball team to its turnaround season in 2011-12.

Tolbert, who led the PBC and was fifth nationally with 21.8 points per game, also grabbed 6.5 rebounds per outing and was voted the Peach Belt Conference Player of the Year as the Bearcats posted an 18-9 overall record and qualified for the PBC Tournament for the first time in three years. The Bearcats were 11-7 in conference play. Tolbert is the second Lander player to earn PBC Player of the Year honors behind Marshall Dibble (1995-96).

He ranked third in the PBC in three-point field goal percentage (.427) and was seventh in the NCAA in threes made per game (3.37). Tolbert had 18 games in which he scored 20 or more points, including six of 30 or more points.

Tolbert was also named a third team NCAA Division II All-American and the Daktronics Southeast Region Player of the Year.

16 players are selected to the NABC All-America team. Selected and voted on by member coaches of the NABC, these student-athletes represent the finest basketball players across America.

2012 NABC Coaches Division II All-America Team

Player of the Year: Braydon Hobbs, Bellarmine