#24 - ***Marc Axton - F - 6-7 - 225 - Jr. - 2L - Federal Way, Wash. (Foss HS 01)

EASTERN WASHINGTON UNIVERSITY

2003-2004: Axton enters his junior season currently ranked 11th in EWU history in career three-point field goal percentage (37.4). He made the first start of his career against Sacramento State (2/2/02) in his freshman season, and he has started every game since.

2002-2003: Earned first team All-Big Sky Conference honors, leading Eastern with a 13.1 average during league play to go along with a team-high 5.6 rebounds and 2.7 assists per game. Axton was selected to the Big Sky Conference All-Tournament team after scoring 24 points with six three-pointers, and added 12 rebounds and five assists. He scored 17 to lead the Eagles in a championship game loss to Weber State (3/12/03). He also earned Big Sky Conference All-Academic honors for the second-straight season. During Big Sky play he recorded career highs for points (24), rebounds (nine), assists (seven) and blocked shots (three) after averaging 5.7 points and 3.1 rebounds in his first 11 games of the season.Axton was rewarded for his efforts in Easterns road sweep in Montana by being selected as the co-Big Sky Conference Player of the Week. Axton scored 17 points in a 72-62 win at Montana (1/9/03), making 6-of-8 free throws and 4-of-8 shots from the field including all three of his three-point attempts. He then scored 11 at Montana State (1/11/03), making 5-of-11 shots and another trey as he also added five assists and nine rebounds in the two games. He followed the Montana sweep by scoring a career-high 20 versus Northern Arizona (1/16/03) in his next outing, and three games later bettered it with 24 at Idaho State (1/30/03). After establishing Canadian citizenship, Axton attended tryouts in the summer of 2002 for the Canadian National Team. He would have had an outstanding shot and making the Canadian Junior Team, but was 22 days too old.

2001-2002: Was the Big Sky Freshman of the Year as chosen by Big Sky head coaches. Named to the Big Sky All-Academic squad. Axtonwas second in the Big Sky (conference games only) in three-point field goal percentage (.524) and 10th in field goal percentage (.529). The talented freshman averaged 8.5 points in conference play after averaging just 3.3 in his first 14 games as an Eagle. He scored in double figures six times, and averaged 19.9 minutes, 5.9 points and 2.8 rebounds on the season (22.0, 8.5 and 3.6 in the Big Sky). He led the Eagles in scoring once and rebounding three times. Axton paced the Eagles with 20 points against Montana State (1/12/02), making 7-of-11 shots from the field including four three-pointers. He made a game-tying three-pointer with 1:15 left against Idaho State (1/26/02), then hit a game-winning trey with 10 left.

BEFORE EASTERN

High School: Graduated from Foss High School in 2001. He was selected by the Seattle Times as the Player of the Year for the State of Washington (all classifications) following his senior season. He averaged 21.2 points per game and earned 4A Player of the Year, All-State and All-State Tournament honors. He averaged 24.1 points in the post-season to lead Foss to a fourth-place finish in the State 4A Tournament. He scored 41 points in an 85-82 first-round victory over favorite Garfield that was called "one of the greatest games in state tournament history" by the Seattle Times. He made all 10 of his free throws against the Bulldogs as he went 24-of-25 from the line in the tournament and 44-of-46 in eight tourney games (7-1 record) as a junior and senior. Foss finished 25-6 his senior season for a combined 50-10 mark his last two years at the school. Following his senior season, Axton scored 15 points and had seven rebounds in Washingtons 87-78 loss to Oregon in the Oregonian Northwest Shootout. As a junior, Axton led Foss coached by John Ruby to a 25-4 record and the State 4A Championship. Axton averaged 11.4 points, 4.1 assists and 4.2 rebounds as a junior, and also played in the summer of 2000 on the Friends of Hoop AAU team.

PERSONAL

Born Feb. 22, 1983, in Tacoma, Wash. He is the son of Mike and Melody Axton. Has two brothers (Micah 25, Morgan 18). His father is a minister at Brooklake Community Church in Federal Way, Wash. Marketing major. Nickname is "Cheapa" and his fellow players and coaches call him "Ax."

EWU Head Coach Ray Giacoletti: "Marc is extremely skilled he can shoot it, pass it and handle the basketball. Hes found a niche defensively in our full-court man-to-man press. Hes done a good job taking charges, and is a well-rounded, smart basketball player who has the skill to shoot it well too especially from the three-point line. Hes kind of a jack of all trades. He has two years of experience and has worked on some things to improve his game and has expanded his offensive skills. He won a state championship in high school, and understands what it takes to win and be successful."