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Men’s Basketball: UL’s Long named Sun Belt Player of the YearTim Buckley, The Advertiser, March 8,2016
With teams collapsing more and more on Shawn Long as the 2015-16 season has progressed, sometimes even triple-teaming him, UL has had to search high and low for alternate scoring options. With the Sun Belt Conference Tournament getting under way this week in New Orleans, however, one thing Ragin’ Cajuns Bob Marlin will not do is shy away from relying on his senior pro prospect, whether it’s to score inside or pass out of the low post. “I’ve got the best big man in our conference,” Marlin said after a regular season-ending win over Georgia Southern last Saturday night, “and I’m not going to stop throwing him the ball.” The Morgan City High product, though, isn’t just the league’s best big. Long on Tuesday was named Sun Belt Player of the Year and earned a third straight spot on the five-member All-SBC first team. He led the league during the regular season in rebounding (12.9 boards per game) and blocks (1.8 per game), was second in scoring at 18.8 points per game and has 21 double-doubles this season, giving him for 73 for his career (14th-most in NCAA history). Long became the all-time UL and Sun Belt leader in rebounds this season. He also became UL’s career blocked shots leader (third in the Sun Belt), and is four points away from becoming one of just seven players student-athletes to reach 2,250 points and 1,400 rebounds in his career. “Shawn has had an outstanding season for us and he continues to improve in his game,” Marlin said. “The numbers that he put up while being double- and triple-teamed on a nightly basis is very impressive. He has been a tremendous rebounder among NCAA student-athletes and he is the best I’ve ever coached. “His maturity, leadership and hard work improved each year since his arrival on campus, culminating with him breaking UL and Sun Belt Conference records,” the Cajun coach added. “I’m very proud of Shawn and what he has accomplished during his career here at UL.” Also named Tuesday to the All-Sun Belt first team: Arkansas-Little Rock senior guard Josh Hagins, Georgia Southern freshman guard Tookie Brown, Texas-Arlington sophomore guard Erick Beal and UL Monroe senior forward Majok Deng. Deng led the league in regular-season scoring at 18.9 ppg. Brown was named the league’s Freshman of the Year, and became just the fourth freshman named a first team honoree in the Sun Belt’s 40-year history. ULM senior guard Justin Roberson was named Defensive Player of the Year, and UALR’s Chris Beard became just the second first-year NCAA Division I head coach in Sun Belt history to earn the league’s Coach of the Year award. (Former Louisiana Tech coach Keith Richard, now head coach at UL Monroe, is the other, doing it in the 1998-99 season.) Beard’s 27-4 Trojans go into the eight-team, four-day conference tourney at Lakefront Arena as its No. 1 seed, with ULM seeded No. 2 and UTA No. 3. UL (16-13) is seeded fourth and, after a one-game bye, will open at 5 p.m. Friday against the winner of Thursday’s 5 p.m. opening-round game between No. 5 seed Georgia Southern and No. seed South Alabama. The winner of UL’s game will face Little Rock in a semifinal game at 1 p.m. Saturday. “In my opinion,” Marlin said when what he planned to tell his team heading into the tournament, “there’s four teams that can win it – and I think we’re one of them. “Our goal is still in front of us,” he added, “and we can win this tournament.” The Sun Belt’s 11 head coaches and selected media members voted on the all-conference teams and award winners. Named to the All-Sun Belt second team: Roberson, Appalachian State senior guard Frank Eaves, Arkansas State junior forward Anthony Livingston, UALR junior guard Marcus Johnson Jr. and Troy sophomore guard Wesley Person. Named to the third team: Arkansas State junior guard Devin Carter, Georgia Southern sophomore guard Mike Hughes, Little Rock senior forward Roger Woods, South Alabama junior guard Ken Williams and Texas State senior forward Emani Gant. LAGNIAPPE: After taking Sunday off and having an optional shooting session Monday so they could be well-rested going into the tournament, the Cajuns returned to practice Tuesday. They also will practice Wednesday and Thursday before heading to New Orleans later Thursday. … Marlin said senior power forward Devonta Walker, who had a double-double off the bench against Georgia Southern, was going to open practice Tuesday with UL’s starters, but that it remains to be seen if Walker or usual starter Bryce Washington will open on Friday. … UL is the only Sun Belt team to receive at least a one-game bye (as at least a top-four seed) for three straight years. … Thursday’s other opening-round tournament game has No. 6 seed Georgia State playing No. 7 seed Texas State at 7:30 p.m. 2015-16 ALL-SUN BELT TEAMS First Team Second Team All-Conference Third Team All-Conference Player of the Year Defensive Player of the Year Freshman of the Year Coach of the Year
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