| Chosen as a preseason candidate for the John R. Wooden Award All-American Team... Ranked in the preseason by both Lindy's and The Sporting News basketball publications as the nation's No. 3 center... Tabbed as a preseason second-team all-American by Basketball News... Reigning SEC Tournament MVP who collected second-team all-league laurels (AP & Coaches) after ranking among the SEC's Top 10 leaders in scoring, rebounding and field-goal percentage as a sophomore... Enters the 2002-03 campaign needing 189 more points to become the 25th player in Mississippi State history to score 1,000 or more career points... Former McDonald's High School All-American from Sumter County in York, Ala.
2001-02 (SOPHOMORE)
Earned second-team all-SEC honors (AP & Coaches) as a sophomore... Named to the 2001-02 United States Basketball Writers Association (USBWA) All-District IV Team and was a second-team All-District 6 selection by the National Association of Basketball Coaches (NABC)... Paced the Bulldogs in both scoring (16.1 ppg) and rebounding (7.6 rpg), while ranking eighth and fifth, respectively, among the SEC's leaders... Became MSU's highest scoring sophomore player since Darryl Wilson (16.2 ppg in 1993-94)... Rated second in the league and 28th nationally in field-goal percentage (55.7%)... Two-time SEC Player of the Week... Earned 2002 SEC Tournament MVP honors... Voted MSU's best offensive player and shared most improved honors after more than doubling his scoring and rebounding averages from his rookie year.
2000-01 (FRESHMAN)
Averaged 7.9 points and 3.6 rebounds per game as a collegiate rookie, while seeing an average of 17.0 minutes of action per contest... Played in all 31 games for the Bulldogs, including five starting assignments... Compiled the highest season scoring average by an MSU freshman since current Golden State Warriors standout Erick Dampier (11.9 ppg in 1993-94)... Scored 16 points and handed out a season-most four assists in his collegiate debut at California in the season-opening TiVo Preseason NIT.
HIGH SCHOOL
Consensus prep all-American for coach Johnny Patrick at Sumter County High School in York, Ala... Averaged 23.9 points and 15.9 rebounds per contest as a senior in earning second-team all-America honors by USA Today and PARADE magazine... Member of the USA Today 1999-2000 Preseason Super 25 team... Considered one of the nation's top 15 high school prospects... Tallied nine points, five rebounds and two blocks in a starting role for the East squad during the 2000 McDonald's High School All-American Game... Totalled 18 points (9-13 FGs) and 10 rebounds in earning MVP honors for the West club in the 2000 Sonny Vaccaro Roundball Classic... Two-time member of the Alabama Sports Writers Association's "Super Five" squad... Runner-up to current NBA forward and former AAU teammate Gerald Wallace as Alabama's "Mr. Basketball" as a prep senior, leading Sumter County to a 25-3 final season record... Helped pace the SCHS Wildcats to back-to-back Class 4A state championship titles during his junior and sophomore campaigns... Averaged 17 points and 12 rebounds per contest as a junior in leading the Wildcats to a 31-2 record and second straight state championship... Chosen MVP of the 1999 Alabama Class 4A Final Four.
PERSONAL
Mario Trevon Austin was born February 26, 1982, in Livingston, Ala... Majoring in teaching/coaching... The son of Deborah Austin. |
