Dawson leads voting as BSL All Stars announced

The Israelis will be guided by Hapoel Jerusalem coach Danny Franco and Maccabi Haifa coach Rami Hadar.

By ALLON SINAI
Updated: MARCH 15, 2016 02:08
Maccabi Rishon Lezion guard Shawn Dawson led all players in voting for this year’s BSL All-Star game, which will be held in Eilat next Friday. (photo credit: ODED KARNI/MACCABI RISHON LEZION)
Maccabi Rishon Lezion guard Shawn Dawson led all players in voting for this year’s BSL All-Star game, which will be held in Eilat next Friday.
(photo credit: ODED KARNI/MACCABI RISHON LEZION)
Maccabi Rishon Lezion guard Shawn Dawson was revealed on Monday as the leading vote-getter for the 2016 BSL All- Star game, which will be held in Eilat next Friday.
The 22-year-old Dawson is averaging 14.6 points, 5.1 rebounds and 3.0 assists for Rishon, which fell to a 12-11 record with Sunday’s 79-78 defeat to Hapoel Eilat. Rishon visits Skyliners Frankfurt in Game 1 of their best-of-three Europe Cup quarterfinal on Wednesday.
Veteran guard Meir Tapiro was second only to Dawson and will make his sixth consecutive All-Star appearance, three days before his 41st birthday. Tapiro hasn’t missed an All-Star game in the past decade, an honor he shares only with Hapoel Jerusalem forward Lior Eliyahu.
The Israelis will be guided by Hapoel Jerusalem coach Danny Franco and Maccabi Haifa coach Rami Hadar, with the roster to also include: Niv Berkowitz (Ironi Nahariya), Yuval Naimi (Ironi Ness Ziona), Raviv Limonad (Hapoel Tel Aviv), Gal Mekel (Maccabi Tel Aviv), Jonathan Skjoldebrand (Maccabi Ashdod), Elishay Kadir (Hapoel Eilat), Afik Nissim (Hapoel Eilat), Isaac Rosefelt (Hapoel Holon), Oz Blayzer (Maccabi Haifa) and Aviram Zelikovic (Bnei Herzliya).
Hapoel Jerusalem forward Donta Smith led voting among the foreigners, who will be guided by Maccabi Tel Aviv coach Zan Tabak and Bnei Herzliya coach Micky Gorka.
Smith will be making his fourth straight All-Star appearance, with the foreign roster also including: Will Clyburn (Hapoel Holon), Gregory Vargas (Maccabi Haifa), Khalif Wyatt (Hapoel Eilat), Alade Aminu (Hapoel Eilat), Brian Randle (Maccabi Tel Aviv), Drew Crawford (Bnei Herzliya), Marco Killingsworth (Maccabi Kiryat Gat), Isaiah Swann (Maccabi Ashdod), Tre Simmons (Hapoel Tel Aviv), Darryl Monroe (Maccabi Rishon Lezion), Michael Umeh (Ironi Nahariya) and Sundiata Gaines (Ironi Ness Ziona).
Randle replaced injured Maccabi teammate Devin Smith.
Every club in the league is represented in both rosters, with Eilat having two players on each team.
The Israelis have won four of five All-Star games since the tradition was renewed in 2011, claiming a 122-121 overtime victory in Holon last year.
The participants in the dunk contest and three-point competition will be announced next week. Mark Lyons won the dunk crown last year, with Zack Rosen triumphing in the three-point event for a second straight year.