Ellis Cooper earns NABC Second-Team All-East Region honors for second-straight season

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (March 26, 2013) -- Franklin Pierce University men's basketball standout Eric Jean-Guillaume (Stamford, Conn.) on Wednesday was named an All-American by the National Association of Basketball Coaches (NABC). The announcement marks the second-straight year Jean-Guillaume picked up the honor from the organization.

In addition to the All-America recognition, Jean-Guillaume was placed on the NABC All-East Region First-Team, which enabled him to be eligible for consideration for the national team. Teammate and junior forward Ellis Cooper (Northampton, Mass.) was the other Raven to be honored as he picked up Second-Team All-East Region honors from the organization.

Jean-Guillaume has had a tremendous senior season as he is averaging a team-high 16.3 points per game on 48 percent shooting from the field. He has scored in double-figures in 23 games, including eight times with 20 points or more. Jean-Guillaume's biggest offensive outburst was a career-high 32 points in a 94-85 win at UMass-Lowell on Feb. 23. He ranks sixth in the Northeast-10 Conference in scoring.

Jean-Guillaume has also been a standout on the defensive end this season as he leads the NE-10 in steals with 67.

The awards are the latest in a long list for Jean-Guillaume this season, who was also named the 2013 NE-10 Player of the Year back in late February. It was the second-straight year he won the award, as he became the sixth player in conference history to earn the accolade multiple times. Jean-Guillaume was also a First-Team All-NE-10 selection and was placed on the NE-10 and NCAA East Regional All-Tournament teams for his efforts.

Cooper has also been one of the top players in the East Region all season as he is averaging 14.2 points and 7.1 rebounds per game. He ranks 16th in the NE-10 in scoring and 12th in rebounding. Cooper's 59 steals are the second highest total in the league, right behind Jean-Guillaume.

Cooper's NABC honor -- his second All-East Second-Team recognition in as many seasons -- comes a week after he was named the Most Outstanding Player of the NCAA East Regional for helping to lead Franklin Pierce to the championship and a berth in this week's Division II Elite Eight in Louisville, Ky.

Franklin Pierce takes on Metro State in the Elite Eight on Thursday at 12 p.m. in historic Freedom Hall. The game can be seen live online at www.ncaa.com or by clicking on the "Video" link next to the game on the men's basketball schedule page at athletics.franklinpierce.edu(.)

For more information on Franklin Pierce men's basketball, please visit the team's page at athletics.franklinpierce.edu(.) To follow the program even further, please follow Franklin Pierce Athletics on YouTube (www.youtube.com/FranklinPierceSports), Twitter (www.twitter.com/FPUathletics) and Facebook (www.facebook.com/FranklinPierceRavens). Fans wishing to purchase Franklin Pierce men's basketball apparel can do so on the athletic department's online store at athletics.franklinpierce.edu/store(.)