Thursday, May 19, 2005

Contact: Stan Cole

Former Campbell Standout Joe Spinks Named Eurobasket Holland Defensive Player of the Year

AMSTERDAM, HOLLAND – Former Campbell University basketball standout Joe Spinks has been named Eurobasket Holland Defensive Player of the Year for the 2004-05 season. Spinks, a native of Asheboro, N.C., who starred for the Camels from 1990-94, was also selected to the Eurobasket Holland second-team after leading the Amsterdam Demon Astronauts to the Dutch Finals.

The 6-foot-7 forward earned Dutch Defensive Player of the Year honors for the fourth time since the 2000 season and gained All-Dutch honors for the sixth-consecutive year.

Spinks averaged 15.4 points, 8.6 rebounds, 2.9 assists and 2.7 steals per game in FIBA Europe League action during the 2004-05 season despite missing a month following knee surgery in December.

A native of Asheboro, N.C., Spinks was a four-time all-conference selection with the Camels, who was named Big South Rookie of the Year in 1991 and Player of the Year in 1994. During his career, he set school (Division I era) records for career scoring (1,711) and rebounding (954) and finished third on the Big South career scoring list after graduating in 1994.

Spinks was the third player in Big South history to earn four All-Conference awards (three first-team) in men's basketball. He led the Fighting Camels to the 1992 Big South Tournament Championship and the school's first-ever berth in the NCAA Tournament, where CU faced No. 1 Duke

In the 1993-94 campaign, Spinks led Campbell to program's first-ever wins over an Atlantic Coast Conference (North Carolina State) and Southeastern Conference (South Carolina). He then guided the Camels to a runner-up finish in the league tournament. Spinks led the conference in rebounding as a freshman, sophomore and senior and finished as the league's all-time rebounds leader. He was inducted into the Big South Conference Hall of Fame in 2004.

Spinks began his professional career in Sweden with Sodertalje in 1994-95 before playing one year each in Finland, Belgium and Portugal. He joined the Ricoh Demon Astronauts in 1998-99 and has earned Dutch Eredivisie Player of the Year recognition three times since.

Former University of Richmond standout Greg Stevenson, a native of Fayetteville, N.C., was named Eurobasket Holland Player of the Year after leading Landstede to the Dutch finals against Spinks' club.