Article

MSU standout to be featured in Sports Illustrated

By Jim Rueda

Free Press Sports Editor

MANKATO — Minnesota State University senior forward Jamel Staten will appear in the next edition of Sports Illustrated. Staten will be featured in the magazine's "Faces In The Crowd" segment.

Staten is believed to be the first Minnesota State student-athlete ever to appear in the SI feature.

The Minneapolis native has earned numerous accolades in MSU career after being named to the Daktronics All-Region and All-North Central Conference teams and being named the NCC Newcomer of the Year in 2003-04.

Already this season, Staten has continued to fill up his personal trophy case. He was named Most Valuable Player at the Pepsi Tip-Off for the second consecutive year and also in the SMSU/US Bancorp Classic. In addition, Staten has taken home NCC Player of the Week honors three times, bringing his career total to five.

"I don't know the details. All I know is they came and took my picture," Staten said Wednesday. "It's very exciting to get a chance at that kind of exposure. There's not a lot of people who appear in a national magazine like that."

After 12 games, Staten is leading MSU with 21.1 points per game and 7.5 rebounds per game. In the latest edition of the NCC statistics, Staten is the only player listed in all 12 categories. He reached double digits in scoring in 36 of 40 career games.

"I might go out and buy every magazine in the rack when it comes out," Staten said. "This is really an honor for me."

MSU is currently ranked second in Division II with a 12-0 record. Staten and the rest of the Mavericks return to the court Wednesday, Dec. 29, when they take part in the Red Lion Hotel-Fibromyalgia Classic in Monmouth, Ore.

"We've got the targets on our backs now," Staten said. "Every team is going to bring their best against because we're ranked No. 2 in the country."