BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – The Southwestern Athletic Conference has recognized Texas Southern forward Aaric Murray as its Southwestern Athletic Conference Player and Defensive Player of the Year.
Southern swept the final three accolades with Tre’Lun Banks receiving Freshman of the Year honors along with teammate Calvin Godfrey earning Newcomer of the Year while head coach Roman Banks was tabbed Coach of the Year.
All honors including first and second team selections were voted on by the league’s head coaches and sports information directors.
Murray led the SWAC in scoring for the entire regular season averaging 21.7 points per game while hauling in 7.7 rebounds per contest. He was TSU’s leading scorer in 17 of their 29 games on the year. Earlier in the year, Murray became the first NCAA Division I player taller than 6’10 to score 48 points in over a decade while also becoming the first player to connect on 20+ field goals in a game since 2011. Defensively, he blocked a league best 69 shots for an average of 2.4 per outing.
Freshman T. Banks led SU in assists and had a 1.4 assists to turnover ratio. He notched a career high of 21 points twice and scored in double figures on 10 occasions.
In his first season at SU, Godfrey averaged 13 points per game and was ranked second in the league with nine rebounds per contest. The center shot a league leading 56 percent from the field and is ranked fourth in the conference with a total of 46 blocked shots.
R. Banks was named SWAC Coach of the Year after guiding the Jaguars 19-11 overall record going 15-2 in league play. His team claimed the 2013-14 SWAC regular season championship. Banks and the Jaguars won the 2013 SWAC Basketball Tournament and made an appearance in the NCAA Tournament.
Joining Murray and Godfrey on the All-SWAC Men’s Basketball First Team include guards LeAntwan Luckett (Alcorn State) and Antwan Scott (Grambling State) along with forward DaVon Haynes (Arkansas-Pine Bluff).
The second team is highlighted by Jamel Waters (Alabama State) and Brandon West (Jackson State). Waters is ranked 13th nationally in assists (6.0) out of 100 Division I players. Up until last week, West was the only player in the SWAC averaging a double-double.
First Team
G – Antwan Scott (Grambling State)
G – LeAntwan Luckett (Alcorn State)
F – DaVon Haynes (Arkansas-Pine Bluff)
F – Calvin Godfrey (Southern)
C – Aaric Murray (Texas Southern)
Second Team
G – Jamel Waters (Alabama State)
G – Julysses Nobles (Jackson State)
F – Bobby Brown (Alabama State)
F – Octavius Brown (Alcorn State)
C- Brandon West (Jackson State)
Player of the Year
Aaric Murray (Texas Southern)
Defensive Player of the Year
Aaric Murray (Texas Southern)
Newcomer of the Year
Calvin Godfrey (Southern)
Freshman of the Year
Tre’Lun Banks (Southern)
Coach of the Year
Roman Banks (Southern)
ALFORD TABBED AS SWAC DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE YEAR; N. SMITH RECEIVES SECOND TEAM HONORS
BIRMINGHAM – The Southwestern Athletic Conference announced the All-conference teams today. Alabama State’s Quentori Alford was selected first team SWAC All-Conference as well as the Defensive Player of the Year. Nakiya Smith was named to the SWAC All Conference Second Team.
Alford, a 6-3, senior, center from Atlanta, Ga., received these accolades based on her performance throughout the 2013-14 season. The Lady Hornet averaged 7.1 points per game, led the team in rebounding and blocked shots. She totaled 206 rebounds averaging 8.4 rebounds per game and amassed 63 blocked shots. In the conference “Q” ranked second in rebounding, and first in blocked shots.
Senior Guard/Forward Smith received second time honors for leading Alabama State in scoring averaging 13.1 points per game. She scored a game high of 29 point against Texas Southern on February 3. Smith also scored 20 points or better in six contests this season.
Alabama State will be set to travel to Houston as the number five seed, facing the number four seed Prairie View at the Toyota Center in Houston, Texas. The two teams split a pair of games earlier this season. The game time is slated for 5:30 p.m. on Thursday.
