Richard Barbee Named Conference Carolinas Men's Basketball Freshman of the Year

BELMONT, NC (March 7, 2008)- Belmont Abbey guard Richard Barbee was named the 2007-08 Conference Carolinas Men's Basketball Freshman of the Year according to a vote of the league's head coaches. He also earned a s on the league's second team.

Barbee played in 27 games, starting 25 of those and was second on the team with a 16.6 points per game average. He also averaged 4.5 rebounds, 1.48 steals and 1.1 assists per contest. 

The Virginia Beach, Virginia product scored a career-high 33 points twice, both coming on the road at the top two teams in the conference standings (Mount Olive-1/21 and Pfeiffer-2/26). He reached double figures in all but five games this season as he finished with 448.

In 19 conference games, he was second in the league with an 18.6 points per game average, just one-tenth of a point behind the leader, and was third in points scored with 353.

He is the first Abbey player since the 2005-06 season to earn a s on the league's first or second team, and is just the third player in school history to earn the Conference's top freshman billing and the first since Jeff Brookman in 1994-95. Barbee's selection is the first since the College moved to NCAA Division II.

Roger Jones
Director of Admissions