SANFORD – The National Junior College Athletic Association has named Lamarte “Buck” McGhee, freshman center on Central Carolina Community College’s Cougar basketball squad, to its 2007-08 All-American Division III Men’s Basketball Third Team.

McGhee is the first Central Carolina C.C. player to make All-American. McGhee is the only center – and one of just four freshmen – picked for the Division III All-American Men’s Basketball List. He is the leading rebounder in the NJCAA this year, according to his coach, Doug Connor.

McGhee has averaged 23.5 rebounds per conference game this season, and had two games with 42 rebounds. He averaged 15.4 rebounds for the season.

McGhee, a Sanford resident, also made First Team, All-Conference; First Team All-Region; and First Team All-Freshmen.

McGhee, 22, is 6-7 and 255 pounds. He played basketball and football for Person High School in Roxboro, where he graduated in 2004. He was big enough and good enough to earn a football scholarship to North Carolina State University, but said his heart “wasn’t in football,” and he dropped out. He then played football for St. Augustine College, but finally decided he really didn’t want to play football, so he left school again.

McGhee returned to Roxboro, unsure what direction to go in. A talk with his high school basketball coach, Ronnie Russell, pointed him toward Central Carolina Community College. Coach Connor recruited Buck for the Cougar team.

“Buck is a very, very coachable person,” he said. “ I got him back playing basketball and back in school and he’s excelled. He’s very, very athletic for a guy his size – he’s deceivably quick. He’s just a great guy.”

Connor credits McGhee with his being named Division III Coach of the Year.

“Buck made our team so much better, I probably wouldn’t have gotten Coach of the Year without him,” Connor said.

McGhee feels good about the success he has found at the college.

“I thank God for helping me come here,” he said. “God gave me a second chance. I plan to stay at Central Carolina for another year and then transfer to a university.”

The four-year colleges and institutions will be watching. With McGhee’s talent on the boards, Central Carolina C.C. Athletic Director Mike Neal said he expects scouts to be at the games, eager to recruit him.

There are 77 community colleges nationwide in Division III Men’s Basketball. Players in Division III, unlike those in Divisions I and II,receive no athletic scholarships or sports funding for their participation. Central Carolina Community College is part of Division III’s Region X, which includes North and South Carolina, Virginia and West Virginia.