FORT MYERS, Fla. – The Florida SouthWestern State College men’s basketball team had six student-athletes receive postseason accolades. FSW was represented on the Suncoast Conference’s First Team by Tremell Murphy, Anthony Murphy and Nych Smith. The Purple and Aqua garnered a trio of Second Team selections as Shanquan Hemphill, Ed Porter and Tyler Cheese received postseason accolades.

Along with Suncoast Conference awards, one Buccaneer student-athlete earned an All-State/All-Region selection as Smith picked up an NJCAA All-Region VIII/FCSAA All-State nod.

Under the leadership of head coach Marty Richter, the Purple and Aqua, who ranked No. 31 in the last NJCAA Division I Men’s Basketball Rankings (Feb. 28), finished the 2016-17 season with a 26-7 overall record. The Bucs earned a berth to the NJCAA District VIII Championship in the first year of the program after winning a 4-team Suncoast Conference playoff, defeating SCF (98-75; Feb. 25) and Polk State (99-94; Feb.27) The Bucs also won 16 of their last 18 games to close the regular season and were one of four schools in the state with both its men’s and women’s basketball teams represented in the State Tournament (Central Florida, Broward, Tallahassee).

The Buccaneers finished the regular season ranked 21st nationally in assists per game (19.4), 46th in steals (9.0) and 56th in blocks (4.1). FSW also ranked in the top 60 nationally in points (52nd, 86.7) and field goal percentage (59th, 47.8 percent).

Tremell Murphy scored in double figures 22 times during the season, including scoring a career-high 33 points (13-of-21 shooting from the field and 7-of-11 from the charity stripe) at Miami Dade (Nov. 18). Murphy pulled down double-digit rebounds on nine occasions and registered six double-doubles on the season. The Griffith, Ind. native ranked second on the team with 13.6 points per game and led the team with 7.1 rebounds per contest.

Anthony Murphy ranked third on the team in points per game during the regular season (12.0 ppg) and second on the squad during conference play (12.6 ppg). The freshman from Griffith, Ind. also averaged 4.9 boards and 2.3 assists on the season. He scored in double figures 21 times during the season, including scoring a career-high 21 points (8-of-15 shooting from the field and 3-of-8 from behind the arc) against St. Pete (Jan. 30). Murphy snagged five or more rebounds on 17 occasions and dished out four or more assists eight times on the season.

Smith led the Bucs with in scoring (15.1 ppg) and assists (5.8 apg) this season, while also ranking second on the team in three-point percentage (32.8 percent). The sophomore point guard also finished the regular season ranked 23rd in the nation in assists per game (6.0 apg). A native of Memphis, Tenn., Smith scored in double figures 24 times during the season, including scoring a career-high 29 points (10-of-21 shooting from the field, 3-of-6 from behind the arc and 6-of-6 from the charity stripe) in a huge 99-94 win over Polk State (Feb. 27). Smith dished out five or more assists on 20 occasions, including a recording a career-high 12 helpers in a 105-99 win at Miami Dade (Nov. 18). He also made a three-pointer in 23 contests and had 16 games where he knocked down multiple triples.

Hemphill was FSW’s fourth leading scorer (11.7 ppg) and averaged 5.3 rebounds per games. Hemphill led the Bucs in field goal percentage, shooting 140-of-242 from the field (57.9 percent). His field goal percentage improved during conference play, as he shot 61.0 percent (50-of-82). The high-flying Gary, Ind. native scored in double figures 21 times during the season, including scoring a career-high 22 points (8-of-9 shooting from the field and 6-of-10 from the charity stripe) at Miami Dade (Nov. 18). Hemphill pulled down five or more boards on 21 occasions.

Porter averaged 9.8 points and 4.4 rebounds, while shooting 57.1 percent from the floor, which ranked second on the team. During Suncoast Conference play, Porter averaged 10.8 points, 5.6 boards and shot 59.3 percent from the field. The Hawthorn, Fla. native scored in double figures 16 times this season, including a career-high 24 points at Miami Dade (Nov. 18). Porter pulled down five or more boards on 15 occasions, with his career-high (10) coming on Jan. 18 at Polk State.

Cheese led the Purple and Aqua in three-point percentage (34.3 percent) and knocked down 49 triples to rank second on the team. The Albany, Ga. Product finished his rookie campaign with averages of 10.6 points, 3.5 rebounds and 2.0 assists. Cheese scored in double figures 16 times, highlighted by his career-high 29-point performance against Polk State on Feb. 27. Cheese made a three-pointer in 24 contests and had 12 games where he knocked down multiple triples.

FOLLOW THE BUCS
For the latest news on FSW Athletics, log on to FSWBucs.com or stay connected to the Bucs on social media. Follow the Buccaneers on Twitter @FSWBucs, on Instagram @FSWBucs, on Facebook at Facebook.com/FSWBucs and on Snapchat at BucsSnaps.

SUNCOAST CREDIT UNION ARENA
The Buccaneers compete in the brand new Suncoast Credit Union Arena. Suncoast Credit Union Arena is approximately 75,000 square feet and is home to the Buccaneers' basketball and volleyball teams, and a student athletic center. The arena seats approximately 3,300 fans and includes six skyboxes, a hospitality event center, competition courts that convert into recreational courts, athletic office space, student, faculty and staff wellness, and an athletic center with a fitness pavilion, men's and women's locker rooms and a weight training area. The arena has two Daktronics displays, on the north and south walls, that each measure 10 feet high by 20 feet wide. Both displays incorporate variable content zoning to each show one large image or they can be divided into multiple windows to show any variety of live video, instant replays, up-to-the-minute statistics, graphics and animations, and sponsorship messages. One-hundred feet of ribbon displays have been installed on the east and west walls of the arena. The ribbons provide the opportunity to supplement the content on the main displays as well as highlight sponsors throughout events.

FLORIDA SOUTHWESTERN
The Florida SouthWestern State College athletic program is a member of the Florida College System Athletic Association (FCSAA) and the National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA). The Buccaneers are one of 25 schools in the NJCAA Region 8 and are one of six schools in the Suncoast Conference. Florida SouthWestern State College currently supports four intercollegiate athletic programs (Baseball, Softball, Men’s Basketball, Women’s Basketball), with Volleyball coming in the fall of 2017.

Baseball and Softball began their regular season competition in 2016 at the City of Palms Park in Fort Myers. Located on the Thomas Edison (Lee) Campus in Fort Myers will be the brand new Suncoast Credit Union Arena (completed in fall 2016), where FSW’s men’s and women’s basketball and volleyball teams will compete.

THE NJCAA
The movement to form a unique sports association dedicated to America’s two-year colleges arose in 1937 when several track and field coaches gathered in Fresno, California. A year later, the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) rejected a petition from 13 two-year colleges in California to grant their teams and athletes permission to compete at the NCAA Track & Field Championships.

In the spring of 1938, following the NCAA’s rejection, those same 13 two-year colleges gathered again in Fresno to organize and form an association that would promote and supervise a national athletics program exclusively for junior and community colleges…and the rest is history.

On May 14, 1938, the first constitution of the National Junior College Athletic Association was accepted by its charter members and the organization held its first national championship event a year later in May 1939.

The NJCAA has played a vital role in collegiate athletics for the past eight decades and continues to be the leader in championing academic and athletic opportunities for student-athletes. This section of the association's website is dedicated to celebrating the NJCAA's rich history and tradition as the national governing body of two-year college athletics.

For more information on the NJCAA log on to www.NJCAA.org. 

THE FCSAA
The Florida College System Activities Association, Incorporated (FCSAA) is a statewide non‑profit corporation regulating, coordinating, and promoting intercollegiate activities in: Athletics, Brain Bowl, Forensics, Music, Student Government, Student Publications, and Theatre.

Membership in the Florida College System Activities Association is open to any of the 28 colleges in the Florida College System. Each member institution is represented in the policy‑making deliberations of the Association through that institution's President or other designated representative. The institutional representatives constitute the FCSAA Presidents Assembly, the ultimate authority in FCSAA.

For more information on the FCSAA log on to www.TheFCSAA.com.  

NJCAA REGION 8, THE SUNCOAST CONFERENCE & THE SOUTHERN CONFERENCE
Member colleges of the NJCAA are allotted to a specific NJCAA Region upon membership to the association. Unlike other collegiate organizations that defer to conference affiliation, the NJCAA guarantees each member college's membership within the regional structure of the association. In most cases, region assignment is based upon geographic location of the college. 

The region structure of the NJCAA is the primary method used by all sponsored sports of the association in determining qualification for national championship tournaments. In certain sports, two or more regions are partnered to form a competition 'district', which is then used for national championship qualification. The organization of districts varies per sport and is formulated every two years under the authority of the association's board of directors. 

FSW is in Region 8 and is joined by ASA College Miami (Region 8 only; non-FCSAA member), Broward College, Chipola College, College of Central Florida, Daytona State College, Eastern Florida State College, Florida State College at Jacksonville, Gulf Coast State College, Hillsborough Community College, Indian River State College, Lake-Sumter State College, Miami Dade College, Northwest Florida State College, Palm Beach State College, Pasco-Hernando State College, Pensacola State College, Polk State College, Santa Fe College, Seminole State College of Florida, South Florida State College, St. Johns River State College, St. Petersburg College, State College of Florida Manatee-Sarasota and Tallahassee Community College.

The Bucs are also in the Suncoast Conference with Hillsborough Community College, Polk State College, South Florida State College, St. Petersburg College and State College of Florida Manatee-Sarasota.

The women’s basketball program is Southern Conference with Broward College, Eastern Florida State College, Indian River State College, Miami Dade College and Palm Beach State College.

For more information on Region 8 log on to www.TheFCSAASports.com.