Before his two captains even stepped on the floor for the first practice this season, University of Minnesota Duluth head coach Gary Holquist knew that senior center John Vaudreuil and junior forward Brian Sykora were a pair of the most elite players in the country.

He was exactly right.

For their stellar efforts in the hardwood this year, the National Association of Basketball Coaches announced Friday that both Vaudreuil and Sykora were two of just 88 student-athletes in the nation to be selected to the 2009 Division II All-District Teams.

Both Vaudreuil and Sykora were just two of the 11 to make the All-Central District Teams, as Vaudreuil earned first-team honors, while Sykora was named to the second-team.

Vaudreuil, who was sidelined all of last season due to a knee injury he sustained the previous summer, guided UMD in the scoring department, as he poured in an average of 16.5 points per game, also ranking him fifth in the NSIC. The reigning conference player of the week also ripped down 6.9 rebounds per game, putting him second among Bulldogs and eight in the NSIC. Vaudreuil, who started all 31 contests this year and hasn't missed a start since his freshman season, also nailed a team-leading 52-percent (175-for-335) of his attempts from the floor, while he cashed in 161 of his team-high 247 shots (65-percent) from the charity stripe, blocked a team-best 21 shots and dished off 71 assists on his most productive season at UMD.

Vaudreuil also set a handful of marks in the UMD history books, as his 511 total points on the year ranks ninth all-time, while his 116 makes from the free-throw line and 247 attempts place him second in Bulldog history. The captain's career tally of 1,424 points also puts him 12th in the all-time ranks, while his 361 made free-throws ranks fifth and his 536 shots from the charity stripe is the most ever in the 77-year-old history of the program, shattering Josh Quigley's previous mark of 436 set back in 1995-2000.

Sykora, who was also one of UMD's most stellar performers night in and night out a year ago, paced the Bulldogs in rebounding, as his eye-popping 9.2 boards per affair was an NSIC best, while his 15.1 points per contest was second among UMD and good for seventh in the conference. The 2-time NSIC Player of the Week, who has started in every one of his games in a Bulldog uniform, also sank an impressive 50-percent (190-for-377) of his shots from the floor, while the captain netted a solid 77-percent (89-for-116) of his attempts from the charity line for the Maroon and Gold. The NSIC's leader in defensive rebounding also racked up 43 assists, 21 steals and 16 blocks during his memorable season.

Sykora's jaw-dropping numbers also broke a few Bulldog records, as his 285 total rebounds on the year ranked him eighth all-time, while his 937 career points for UMD puts him 39th on the charts and his 15.8 points per game secures him at the seventh spot in Bulldog history.

Even though the Bulldogs suffered a season-ending loss March 4 in the first round of the NSIC/Sanford Health Tournament, UMD finished with a 20-11 record; the best mark for any Bulldog team since the 1996-97 season. The 20 wins also marks a first for Holquist, as this year was his best ever in his 11 seasons at the helm.

Give that credit to a pair of the most elite players in the country.