Deron Cherry II was named to the All-Independent Men's Basketball Second Team for the second-straight year in Orangeburg, S.C.

ORANGEBURG, S.C. – Park University placed four men’s basketball players on the 2009 A.I.I. All-Independent Men’s Basketball First and Second teams, headlined by senior forward Jon Meriweather who was named to the first team Friday at the A.I.I. Tournament in Orangeburg, S.C.

Meriweather was joined by second-team members Herschel Rodgers, Michael Zimmerman and Deron Cherry II representing Park on the 20-man squad, which was split into two teams of 10.

Through Park’s 29 games this season, Meriweather has played and started in 25, ranking in the NAIA in points per game with 21.2, rebounds per game at 10.5 and blocked shots, where he owns 67 of the team’s 96 swats this season.

A preseason NAIA First-Team All-American by Basketball Times, Meriweather is also the team’s top foul shooter, knocking down 131-of-159 at the line for 82.4-percent, and from the floor, he is 58.9-percent this season with 199 field goals. A Kansas City, Mo., native, Meriweather also led the Pirates in minutes played this season, averaging 34.4 per game.

Rodgers was Park’s top selection on the second team, scoring 10.9 points per game and averaging six rebounds, both totals ranking second on the Pirate roster. A combo guard-forward from Lansing, Mich., Rodgers has played in all 29 games for the Pirates, making 27 starts and averaging 30.8 minutes per game.

Rodgers also leads the team in steals with 45.

Zimmerman, a product of Ft. Wright, Ky., made his first appearance on the All-Independent roster this season, having played in all 29 games with 29 starts. Since his arrival at Park, Zimmerman has started in all 90 games for the Pirates, and this season, he is averaging 9.2 points per game, which ranks second on the team.

Running the point, Zimmerman leads the team in assists with 121 and he is shooting 47.6-percent from the floor, including 27-of-74 from beyond the 3-point arc for 36.5-percent.

Cherry rounded out the A.I.I. selection list for the Pirates on the second team after scoring 9.8 points per game through Park’s first 29 contests, making starts in 25 games for the Pirates this season with 46 made 3-point baskets, which ranks second on the team. Cherry, a Kansas City, Mo., resident, has the team’s second-most assists at 48 while averaging 3.3 rebounds per game, sitting five boards shy of 100 for the season.

Joining Meriweather on the first team were A.I.I. Player of the Year Andrew Lee from Mountain State and his MSU teammate Nick Aldridge, as well as Life University’s Tay Barber, Morris College’s Christopher Owens, Brescia University’s Anthony Ingram and Andrew Howard, Antawn Coby and Youssoupha Sene from Lambuth, and Byron Littlejohn from Allen University.

Greg Brown from Life headlined the second team, followed by teammate Ken Moore, Mountain State’s Bo Harris and Anthony Pigram, Brescia’s Anthony McNeal and Doug Denton, as well as Tom Hammond from Lambuth University.

Park defeated Morris in the A.I.I. quarterfinals, and later today, the Pirates play their semifinal contest against Crichton College at 8 p.m. (Eastern) inside Orangeburg’s Tullis Arena. The game can be followed online at www.parkathletics.com/livestats, with starting lineups for the game set to appear approximately 15 minutes prior to tipoff. Complete statistics and a game recap will be available online upon the game’s conclusion at www.parkathletics.com.