Senior earns first-team honors for third straight season; named 2013 LSWA Freshman of the Year

LAFAYETTE – Louisiana Ragin’ Cajuns basketball standout Shawn Long earned another postseason honor on Saturday when he was named as a first-team selection on the Louisiana Sports Writers Association (LSWA) Men’s College Basketball Team.

The selection of Long, who was the 2013 LSWA Freshman of the Year, marked the third straight season the 6-foot-11 product was named to the first team.

Long, a Morgan City native, was named the Sun Belt Conference Player of the Year and was an Associated Press Honorable Mention All-America pick after leading the league in scoring (18.9 ppg.), rebounds (12.1) and blocked shots (1.8). He finished in four-year career as the all-time leading rebounder in both Ragin’ Cajuns and Sun Belt Conference history, pulling down 1,447 boards during his four-year career.

He also finished third in school history, trailing Dwight "Bo" Lamar and Andrew Toney, in scoring with 2,342 points and was the Ragin’ Cajuns all-time leader in blocked shots (273), games started (131) and double-doubles (75). Long’s 75 double-doubles are the 12th-best total in NCAA history and he finished second in Sun Belt Conference history in both scoring and blocked shots.

His 411 rebounds recorded during the 2015-16 season tied former Ragin’ Cajuns great Roy Ebron (1971-72) for the second-best total in a single-season in school history.

Long was joined on the first team by LSU’s Ben Simmons, who was named both LSWA Player and Freshman of the Year, Majok Deng of ULM, Louisiana Tech’s Alex Hamilton and Zeek Woodley of Northwestern State.

Dillard’s Demetric Austin, who was named the LSWA Newcomer of the Year, highlighted the second-team and was joined by DeAngelo Coleman of LSU Alexandria, Travion Kirkendoll of Centenary, Erik McCree of Louisiana Tech and Morris Wright of Xavier.

LSU’s Antonio Blakeney and Keith Hornsby was named to the third-team and were joined by Louisiana College’s Anthony Gaines, Loyola’s Johnny Griffin, Jr., and Adrian Rodgers of Southern.

LSUA’s Larry Cordaro was named the LSWA Coach of the Year.