PJ Reyes to Play in Reese's NCAA Division II All-Star Contest

CHARLESTON, WV (03/21/2012)(readMedia)-- University of Charleston basketball star and reigning West Virginia Conference Player of the Year PJ Reyes (Taylor, Mich. / South Alabama) has been invited to play in the Reese's Division II All-Star game on Friday, March 23 at 7:00 pm.

Reyes was one of the most prolific scorers in University of Charleston history with 664 points in his only season as a Golden Eagle. He ranked among the top scorers in the WVIAC with 20.1 points per game, which also landed him among the top-20 scorers nationally.

"PJ is a special player who is very deserving of playing in the Division II All Star game." stated Charleston head coach Mark Downey. "This is a great honor not only for PJ, but for our basketball program and the University of Charleston!"

Only three players for the Atlantic Region were selected for the 20-man All-Star roster as Reyes joins Ashton Smith (Indiana, Pa.) and Raymont McElroy (WV Wesleyan). Along with the honor of playing in the All-Star game, Reyes will test is ability above the rim which he thrilled Eddie King Gym fans with all season long in the dunk contest as part of All-Star festivities.

"PJ will have the opportunity to play with and against the best players in the country. He will get to showcase his talent on a national level. He is a great talent that will be right at home with the rest of the talent on the floor and I completely look for him to win the dunk contest." says Downey.

The National Association of Basketball Coaches (NABC) selects the rosters for the 2012 Reese's Division II College All-Star game, which will be played as part of the 2012 NCAA Division II Men's Basketball Championship. Reese's is the official candy partner of the NCAA.

The Reese's Division II College All-Star game will be played on Friday, March 23, at 7:00 p.m. (EDT), at The Bank of Kentucky Center at Northern Kentucky University in Highland Heights, Ky. The all-star teams are made up of outstanding seniors representing each of the eight regions in NCAA Division II.

The game will feature a pair of outstanding coaches with extensive experience in Division II. Dale Clayton is a former NABC president and long-time former coach at Carson-Newman College. Ken Wagner is the highly successful coach at BYU-Hawaii and a former member of the NCAA Division II Men's Basketball Committee.

Division II is the smallest and most diverse membership division in the NCAA, with 283 active member institutions (50 percent public; 50 percent private institutions), 23 member conferences and a student-athlete population in excess of 100,000. The Division II membership is comprised of schools in 46 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico and Canada.

2012 Reese's Division II All-Star Game Participants

Name, School Pos. Ht. Wt.

Adrian Moss, Indianapolis G 5-9 160

Ryan Aquino, Georgia College F 6-8 230

Stefan Bonneau, C.W. Post G 5-10 165

Scott Dennis, Christian Brothers G 6-5 190

James Ellisor, Bemidji State F 6-5 200

Milton Garner, Cameron G 6-1 200

Ahmad Harris, Bloomfield G 5-9 170

Brandon Hogg, Southern Indiana G 6-1 185

Reggie Jones, Cal State Stanislaus F 6-9 245

Lance Kearse, Eckerd F 6-6 235

Raymont McElroy, West Virginia Wesleyan G/F 6-2 190

Paul "PJ" Reyes, Charleston (W.V.) G 6-5 190

Taylor Rohde, Alaska-Anchorage F/C 6-9 255

Cody Schilling, Augustana (S.D.) G 6-5 195

Da'Ron Sims, West Georgia F 6-6 215

Ashton Smith, Indiana (Pa.) G 6-2 195

Keane Thomann, Missouri Southern C 6-11 275

Dwight Tolbert, Lander F 6-5 210

Jon Van Hoose, Northern Kentucky G 6-6 175

Zack Warner, Christian Brothers C 6-9 215

Anthony Young, Kentucky Wesleyan C 6-7 244

About the National Association of Basketball Coaches

Located in Kansas City, Missouri, the NABC was founded in 1927 by Forrest "Phog" Allen, the legendary basketball coach at the University of Kansas. Allen, a student of James Naismith, the inventor of basketball, organized coaches into this collective group to serve as Guardians of the Game. The NABC currently has nearly 5,000 members consisting primarily of university and college men's basketball coaches. All members of the NABC are expected to uphold the core values of being a Guardian of the Game by bringing attention to the positive aspects of the sport of basketball and the role coaches play in the academic and athletic lives of today's student-athletes. The four core values of being a Guardian of the Game are advocacy, leadership, service and education. Additional information about the NABC, its programs and membership, can be found at www.nabc.org.

About The Hershey Company

The Hershey Company (NYSE: HSY) is the largest producer of quality chocolate in North America and a global leader in chocolate and sugar confectionery. Headquartered in Hershey, PA, The Hershey Company has operations throughout the world and more than 12,000 employees. With revenues of nearly $6 billion, Hershey offers confectionery products under more than 25 brand names, including such iconic brands as Hershey's, Reese's, Hershey's Kisses, Hershey's Bliss, Hershey's Special Dark and Hershey's Extra Dark, Kit Kat, Twizzlers, and Ice Breakers. Hershey also is a leader in the premium and artisan chocolate segments, with such brands as Scharffen Berger and Dagoba, offered through the Artisan Confections Company, a wholly owned subsidiary. The company is focused on growing its presence in key international markets such as China and Mexico while continuing to build its competitive advantage in the United States and Canada.

For more than 100 years, The Hershey Company has been a leader in making a positive difference in the communities where its employees live, work and do business. Corporate Social Responsibility is an integral part of the company's global business strategy, which includes goals and priorities focused on fair and ethical business dealings, environmental stewardship, fostering a desirable workplace for employees, and positively impacting society and local communities. Milton Hershey School, established in 1909 by the company's founder and administered by Hershey Trust Company, provides a quality education, housing, and medical care at no cost to children in social and financial need. Students of Milton Hershey School are direct beneficiaries of The Hershey Company's success.

About the NCAA

The NCAA is a membership-led nonprofit association of colleges and universities committed to supporting academic and athletic opportunities for more than 400,000 student-athletes at more than 1,000 member colleges and universities. Each year, more than 54,000 student-athletes compete in NCAA championships in Divisions I, II and III sports.

Division II provides an intersection where athletically gifted students can compete at a high level, while maintaining much of a traditional student experience. The emphasis for the student-athlete experience in Division II is a comprehensive program of learning and development. Excellent outcomes come from athletics programs that are properly aligned with the educational mission of the institution. This balance is what distinguishes Division II, and this philosophy is at the heart of all decisions made by the division's member institutions. For more information, visit the Division II website at http://www.ncaa.org/divisionii.