Men’s Basketball: Louisiana’s Bartley Named To USBWA All-District Team

Matt Sullivan, Director of Athletics Communications

Baton Rouge native lone SBC player named to All-District Team

ST. LOUIS – Louisiana Ragin’ Cajuns men’s basketball player Frank Bartley was one of 12 players from Division I schools in the states of Louisiana, Texas and Arkansas named on Tuesday to the 2017-18 Men’s All-District VII Team as the U.S. Basketball Writers Association (USBWA) released its All-District Teams, based on voting from its national membership of 900-plus.
 
The USBWA has selected All-District Teams since the 1956-57 season, its founding year.
 
Bartley, a native of Baton Rouge, La., and former Christian Life Academy product, was the lone Sun Belt Conference product selected one of nine All-District teams nationally and was the fourth Ragin’ Cajun named to the list since 2003-04. The 6-foot-3 guard joined former Ragin’ Cajuns Shawn Long (2013-14, 2015-16) and Tyren Johnson (2009-10) in earning USBWA All-District honors.
 
During the 2017-18 regular-season, Bartley led Louisiana in scoring (17.4), 3-pointers made (73) and led the Sun Belt Conference in free throw percentage (.870). A first-team All-SBC selection and 2017 SBC Newcomer of the Year, Bartley scored in double figures in 29 straight games for Louisiana with 10 games scoring 20 or more points, including eight in SBC action.
 
Louisiana (26-5), which claimed the 2018 Sun Belt Conference regular-season title, will open play on Friday in the 2018 SBC Men’s Basketball Championships at New Orleans’ Lakefront Arena on Friday at 11:30 a.m. CT against the winner of Coastal Carolina and Texas State.
 
For each of the nine geographic districts, ten players are selected (11 or 12 in the case of ties) as well as a player and coach of the year. Six schools – Rhode Island (Jared Terrell and Dan Hurley), Villanova (Jalen Brunson and Jay Wright), Ohio State, (Keita Bates-Diop and Chris Holtmann), Kansas (Devonté Graham and Bill Self), Texas Tech (Keenan Evans and Chris Beard) and Nevada (Caleb Martin and Eric Musselman) – can boast the honor of having the district player and coach of the year. Villanova’s Jay Wright (District II) has earned District Coach of the Year honors in five straight seasons.
 
PLAYER OF THE YEAR
Keenan Evans, Texas Tech
 
COACH OF THE YEAR
Chris Beard, Texas Tech
 
ALL-DISTRICT TEAM (12)
Mo Bamba, Texas
Jaylen Barford, Arkansas
Frank Bartley, Louisiana
Tyler Davis, Texas A&M
Keenan Evans, Texas Tech
Rob Gray, Houston
Daryl Macon, Arkansas
Shake Milton, SMU
Zhaire Smith, Texas Tech
Tremont Waters, LSU
Kenrich Williams, TCU
Robert Williams, Texas A&M