Jerel McNeal of the Rio Grande Valley Vipers and Brandon Costner of the Utah Flash were today named NBA Development League Co-Performers of the Week for games played during the week of Feb. 21.

McNeal, a 6-3, 200-pound guard out of Marquette who spent the NBA preseason with the Houston Rockets, led the Vipers to a 4-0 record on the week, averaging 20.3 points, 4.5 rebounds and 6.8 assists.

Costner, a 6-9, 235-pound forward out of North Carolina State who has played in the NBA Summer League with the Chicago Bulls, led the Flash to a 3-0 record last week, averaging 21.7 points, 6.0 rebounds and 3.7 assists.

This week’s honorable mention selections were Austin’s Marcus Cousin, who averaged 18.7 points and 10.3 rebounds in three games; Dakota’s Anthony Goods, who averaged 29.5 points, 7.5 rebounds and 4.0 assists in two games; Erie’s Tasmin Mitchell, who averaged 28.0 points and 7.7 rebounds in three games; Iowa’s Othyus Jeffers, who averaged 22.0 points, 10.0 rebounds and 4.3 assists in three games; Maine’s DeShawn Sims, who averaged 27.0 points and 8.0 rebounds in two games; New Mexico’s Shane Edwards, who averaged 26.0 points and 8.5 rebounds in two games; Sioux Falls’ Patrick Ewing Jr., who averaged 21.7 points, 10.7 rebounds and 2.7 assists in three games; Springfield’s JamesOn Curry, who averaged 20.7 points, 3.7 rebounds, 2.3 assists and 2.3 steals in two games; and Tulsa’s Elijah Millsap, who averaged 20.7 points and 6.7 rebounds in three games.

Courtney Sims of the Iowa Energy, who previously captured Co-MVP honors in the 2009 NBA Development League All-Star Game in Phoenix, doubled his pleasure in Los Angeles, scoring 25 points on 10-for-13 shooting on his way to hoisting his second NBA D-League All-Star MVP Trophy at the 2011 NBA D-League All-Star Game.

Maine’s DeShawn Sims added 20 points for the East All-Stars, who used a late run in the second half to post a 115-108 victory over the West All-Stars in front of a packed house on Center Court at NBA All-Star Jam Session presented by adidas.

“I like competing against the best competition, and this league has a ton of good players, many who could or should be in the NBA,” said Sims, who’s appeared in five NBA games with the Indiana Pacers, Phoenix Suns and New York Knicks since graduating from Michigan in 2007. “Everyone says I’m very close to making it, and some people feel that I’m an NBA player. Not everyone gets the chance, and you just have to make the most of the opportunity if and when it comes.”

Blake Ahearn and Ivan Johnson of the Erie Bayhawks were today named NBA Development League Co-Performers of the Week for games played during the week of Feb. 7.

Ahearn and Johnson led the Bayhawks to a 3-0 record on the week. Ahearn, a 6-2, 190-pound guard out of Missouri State who has played with the Miami Heat and San Antonio Spurs, averaged 25.3 points, 2.0 rebounds and 6.0 assists. Johnson, a 6-8, 230-pound forward out of Cal State San Bernardino who has worked out with the Minnesota Timberwolves and Dallas Mavericks, averaged 28.3 points, 8.3 rebounds and 3.0 assists.

In a three-game sweep of New Mexico this week, Ahearn scored 18, 19 and 39 points, shooting 18-of-18 from the free-throw line in Erie’s 120-115 win on Sunday. Johnson, meanwhile, scored 37 points in Erie’s 125-100 win over the Thunderbirds on Thursday, and followed with a 29-point, 12-rebound performance in the Bayhawks’ 123-105 win on Saturday.

Derrick Byars of the Bakersfield Jam was Monday named NBA Development League Performer of the Week for games played during the week of Jan. 31.

Byars, a 6-7, 220-pound guard/forward out of Vanderbilt who was drafted in the second round (42^nd overall) of the 2007 NBA Draft and has been in camp with the Philadelphia 76ers, Oklahoma City Thunder and Chicago Bulls, led Bakersfield to a 2-0 record on the week, averaging 30.5 points, 4.5 rebounds, 2.5 assists and 1.5 steals.

After scoring 18 points in the Jam’s 124-110 win over Springfield on Friday, Byars shot 16-of-23 from the field, including 6-of-11 from three-point range, to score 43 points in Bakersfield’s 128-99 victory over the Armor on Saturday.

Twenty of the NBA Development League’s top prospects, including seven who have already been called up to the NBA, have been chosen to join the NBA All-Stars in Los Angeles to play in the fifth annual NBA D-League All-Star Game Presented by SonoSite on Saturday, Feb. 19, on Center Court at NBA All-Star Jam Session. The game will air live on NBA TV at 5 p.m. ET.

Selected to the NBA D-League All-Star East Team were Chris Johnson (Dakota Wizards), Ivan Johnson and Garrett Temple (Erie BayHawks), Walker Russell Jr. (Fort Wayne Mad Ants), Othyus Jeffers, Courtney Sims and Curtis Stinson (Iowa Energy), DeShawn Sims (Maine Red Claws), Patrick Ewing Jr. and Dexter Pittman (Sioux Falls Skyforce).

Chosen to the NBA D-League All-Star West Team, playing host to the East Team in Los Angeles, were Marcus Cousin (Austin Toros), Trey Johnson (Bakersfield Jam), Shane Edwards (New Mexico Thunderbirds), Jeff Adrien and Mustafa Shakur (Rio Grande Valley Vipers), Joe Alexander and Sean Williams (Texas Legends), Larry Owens and Zabian Dowdell (Tulsa 66ers) and Orien Greene (Utah Flash).

Seven of this year’s NBA D-League All-Stars are currently in the NBA after earning GATORADE Call-Ups this season: Zabian Dowdell (Tulsa 66ers to Phoenix Suns); Larry Owens (Tulsa 66ers to San Antonio Spurs); Mustafa Shakur (Rio Grande Valley Vipers to Washington Wizards); Chris Johnson (Dakota Wizards to Portland Trail Blazers); Garrett Temple (Erie BayHawks to Milwaukee Bucks); Trey Johnson (Bakersfield Jam to Toronto Raptors) and Orien Greene (Utah Flash to New Jersey Nets).

Jeff Adrien of the Rio Grande Valley Vipers has been named NBA Development League Player of the Month for games played in January.  The honor, the second of the 2010-11 season, is the first for Adrien, and the first for Rio Grande Valley this season.

Adrien, a 6-7, 240-pound forward out of Connecticut who played 15 games with the Golden State Warriors this season, led the Vipers to a 10-1 record in January, averaging 20.7 points, 12.9 rebounds and 1.8 assists. Adrien recorded a double-double in all but one game last month, and had highs of 31 points against the Austin Toros on Jan. 8 and 16 rebounds against the Erie BayHawks on Jan. 12.