NBA D-League All-Star Central

NEW YORK – Former Jacksonville State guard Walker Russell has been selected to play in the NBA Development League's All-Star Game for the second time in three seasons, the league announced on Thursday.

Russell, a 6-foot, 175 pound point guard for the league's Fort Wayne Mad Ants, was named to the East Team in the NBA D-League's All-Star Game, which will be played in Los Angeles on Feb. 19, one day before the NBA's All-Star Game. The D-League's game will air live on NBA TV at 4 p.m. CT.

A three-year letterwinner for the Gamecocks from 2003-06, Russell has had a stellar season so far in Fort Wayne, leading the Mad Ants with 16.6 points per game and is seventh in the league with 7.5 assists per game. This is the Pontiac, Mich., native's fourth season in the league and his second All-Star selection. In 2009, he scored 14 points and dished eight assists in the All-Star Game for the Blue Team.

Russell has started all 30 games for the Mad Ants so far this season and is shooting 47 percent from the floor and 82 percent from the free throw line. His 2.0 steals per game rank 10th in the league, while his six double-doubles are tied for 21st.

After transferring to JSU from Chipola College, Russell put his stamp in the JSU record books in a three-year stay with the Gamecocks. The school record holder in free throw percentage with an .842 clip over his career, Russell was an All-Ohio Valley Conference player in 2005 and 2006. With 1,182 points, he also held the school's Division I career scoring mark until Nick Murphy passed him earlier this season.