Starks, Garvin, O'Shea garner All-NEC selections entering 2015 NEC Tournament

SMITHFIELD, R.I. – On the tails of its third-straight top-four league finish, the Bryant University men's basketball team saw a trio of Bulldogs named All-Northeast Conference selections, as All-NEC First Team senior guard Dyami Starks (Duluth, Minn.), Second Team sophomore forward Dan Garvin (Bethel, Conn.) and Third Team senior guard Joe O'Shea (Burlington, Vt.) were all recognized for their standout 2014-15 performances.

Starks takes home his third-straight all-conference accolade and first First Team recognition, while Garvin and O'Shea enjoy the first year-end league honors of their careers. Bryant – the No. 3 seed entering the 2015 NEC Tournament – is the only program to place players on all three teams and is one of two squads with a trio of all-league picks.

Starks has remained a remarkably consistent offensive force in his time at Bryant and represents a high-volume scorer who can attack the defense in a variety of ways, most notably via his keen marksmanship from long distance. With a late season push, Starks regained the NEC scoring lead and enters the 2015 postseason supplying the Bulldogs with 18.5 points per game. The Duluth, Minn., native, who ranked first in the conference in made 3-pointers as a sophomore and second as a junior, is way ahead of the pack as a senior, heading into his final postseason with 90 trifectas in total while averaging 3.10 per game (14th in DI). His 273 triples at Bryant rank ninth on the NEC's all-time list, even more remarkable when considering he has only played in Smithfield for three seasons. Starks is also the NEC's top-rated free throw shooter and ranks seventh nationally, converting at a 91.1 percent clip from the stripe. The sharpshooter is the league's second-leading active scorer with 1,650 points in a Bulldog uniform (1,738 in his collegiate career). Starks has led the Black and Gold in scoring 19 times this season and 43 times in his Bryant career. He has 10 games of 20 points or more this season and has been limited to single-digit scoring only twice in 2014-15.

Garvin's contributions on both ends of the floor played an enormous role in Bryant remaining in the upper echelon of the NEC standings this season. A high-level athlete, Garvin supercharged his game in conference play, averaging 12.6 points and 8.9 rebounds per game while shooting 57.9 percent from the floor with six double-doubles. On the year, he delivered 11.1 points per game, second most on the team, and ranks third in the NEC in rebounding (7.8) and fourth in blocked shots (1.5). Garvin has paced the Bulldogs on the glass 17 times this season and on 25 occasions through his first two years in Smithfield and currently leads the Black and Gold in steals (28). He earned his first NEC Player of the Week honor back on January 12.

There is a smoothness to O'Shea's game that is undeniable, whether it is his picture perfect lefty stroke from distance or his ability to glide through traffic and attack the rim. The Burlington, Vt., product stepped up his game as a senior, averaging 10.3 points, 5.8 rebounds and 2.3 assists per game for third-seeded Bryant, going from a role player to one of the NEC's most well-rounded and versatile athletes. An efficient offensive player, he shoots 46.9 percent from the floor and has made 30 triples at a 37.5 percent clip. The fundamentally sound 6-foot-4 guard also turned the ball over just 36 times all season, adding nine blocks and 23 steals. The senior captain earned a double-double against LIU Brooklyn Jan. 22 and surpassed the 20-point mark twice on the year. O'Shea currently ranks in the NEC's top-20 in scoring average (20th), rebounding average (11th), field goal percentage (10th), assists per game (15th), free throw percentage (9th), 3-point percentage (t-6th) and minutes played (8th) on the 2014-15 campaign.

The 2014-15 honors mark the third-straight season the Bulldogs have seen three named All-NEC selections, and the trio of accolades now brings Bryant's all-league total to 12 since the program first became eligible for postseason honors in 2009-10.

Now, the Bulldogs will look to add another achievement to their 2014-15 resume – the program's first Division I postseason victory. Bryant will host sixth-seeded Sacred Heart at the Chace Athletic Center Wednesday at 7:00 p.m. in the 2015 Northeast Conference Quarterfinals. The matchup will be televised regionally and nationally on Fox College Sports, Cox Sports and MSG+, and can also be seen at NECFrontRow.com.