Senior shooting guard and team leader Henry Domercant is already going to have to make room on his mantel for post season awards he is receiving. The NCAA Division I All-District teams were selected last week, and Domercant was named to the District 11 team.

Domercant returned for his senior year after having a banner season last year and an opportunity to enter the NBA draft. This year Domercant has not disappointed upon his return, by scoring nearly 27 points per game.

He has also been extremely valuable to the team as a leader who not only led by example but has become more vocal with his teammates during his final year at Eastern.

After a slow start, the Panthers were only 7-12 overall and had only won two of their seven conference matches.

After that, a welcome extended stay at home and the emergence of Domercant as a superior player within the Ohio Valley Conference started to boost the Panthers back into contention. As the team flourished, Domercant seemed to be doing whatever the team needed to pick up much-needed victories.

“We were obviously excited to have him back,” head coach Rick Samuels said. “He has always been a leader by example, but now he has become more of a vocal leader for the younger players. And his great play this year is a tribute to his patience as a player because he is always the main target for the opponent.”

Domercant overcame the attention that the other teams within the OVC have placed upon him this year and seems to be a better player for it.

The trouble for Domercant to receive national attention is the fact that he plays in a small conference. Coaches who name the All-District, and after that the All-American teams, do not look at players who have only one good year in small conferences.

This made it twice as difficult for Domercant to gain the attention he deserved.

“This award is not just a tribute for what he has done this year, but what he has been able to accomplish over his entire career,” Samuels said. “A player who gets this kind of attention in the OVC has to perform well for multiple years because the conference is smaller.”

Proving this point, the rest of the District 11 team that Domercant was named to was filled by four players out of major conferences in the nation.

Three other players were from the Big Ten, including Illinois forward Brian Cook, Michigan forward LaVell Blanchard and Wisconsin guard Kirk Penny. The last player on the team is Player of the Year candidate Dwayne Wade out of Marquette.

“These guys are all great players, and it is pretty amazing to see Henry included in that group,” said Samuels.

Domercant wasn’t the only player to make the All-District teams out of the OVC. He was joined by Morehead State junior guard Ricky Minard. Both players have put together good years in the past and have been the two best players in the OVC this season.

“He is an outstanding player,” Samuels said of Minard. “But it is very special to have two players of this caliber in this conference. They are similar players in size and both play the shooting guard. They are fun to watch.”