March 7, 2005
Contact: Rick Nixon, 210-458-4551
UTSA's John Millsap tabbed second team all-Southland Conference; Justin Harbert named honorable mention
PLANO, Texas – After helping UTSA claim the No. 4 seed position at this week's O'Reilly Auto Parts/Southland Conference Tournament, senior forward John Millsap was named a second-team selection on the 2005 All-Southland Conference Men’s Basketball team released by the conference office on Monday. UTSA guard Justin Harbert received honorable mention notice.
Student-athletes from 10 different universities occupied the top 11 spots of the three All-SLC teams as voted by the league’s head coaches, sports information directors and a panel of media members.
Millsap, a 6-6 native of Grambling, La., was the only member of UTSA's team to start all 27 regular season games this season. He led the Roadrunners in scoring (13.5) and rebounding (6.8) and scored in double figures on 19 occasions. He also led the Roadrunners with four double-double's in points and rebounds. He set personal single game highs with 28 points in a game versus McNeese State on Jan. 20, 2005, and with 17 rebounds in game versus Sam Houston State on Feb. 3, 2005.
Harbert, a native San Antonian and a graduate of Taft High School, placed second for UTSA with a scoring average of 12.9 points per game this season. The 6-1 guard leads the team with 52 3-point field goals. He scored a career-high 25 points in a game against the Texas Longhorns on Dec. 29, 2004.
After finishing the regular season ranked among the top 12 in seven different statistical categories, Sam Houston State's Joe Thompson was selected as Southland Conference Men’s Basketball Player of the Year. Thompson, a senior from Wharton, Texas, capped the regular season averaging 16.0 points per game to rank fourth in the Southland. In addition, he currently ranks fourth in the league in 3-pointers made per game (2.5), sixth in assist-to-turnover ratio (1.5), ninth in 3-point percentage (38.6), 10th in free throw percentage (75.0) and 12th in assists (3.1) and steals (1.4) per game.
Joining Thompson on the first team were Alan Daniels of Lamar, Steven Thomas of Texas-Arlington and Southeastern Louisiana's Ricky Woods and Nate Lofton.
Daniels, a junior from Tulsa, Okla., helped Lamar to a 17-10 regular season and fifth-place finish in the league while topping the Southland in scoring at 19.2 points per game. He is third in 3-pointers made per game (2.6) and 10th in percentage (38.0) on treys.
Thomas, a junior from Fort Worth, Texas, used his No. 2 scoring average (17.4) and league-leading rebounding mark (8.0) to earn first-team honors for the eighth-place Mavericks. In addition, he ranks second in field goal accuracy (59.6).
Woods, a junior from New Orleans, La., who has been voted newcomer of the year as well, ranks third in the league with a 17.1 scoring average. He is third in steals (1.8), seventh in rebounding (6.7) and third in field goal percentage (55.9). Lofton, a senior from New Orleans who was the league's top newcomer last season, ranks fourth in rebounding (7.3) and 16th in scoring (11.7) while producing the fourth-best field goal percentage (55.1). Lofton and Woods helped lead SLU to its second straight share of an SLC regular-season title after the Lions were picked fifth by the head coaches in the preseason.
The All-SLC second team is headed up by Northwestern State’s Jermaine Wallace. The junior from Heflin helped the Demons to their first-ever Southland Conference regular-season crown by leading his team and ranking 15th in the league in scoring (11.7).
Wallace was joined on the second team by Nicholls State’s Willie Depron, Millsap, Anthony Dill of Texas State and Stephen F. Austin’s Marcus Clark.
Third-team picks were Edward Garriet of McNeese State, SHSU’s Chris Jordan, Ray Anthony of Lamar, Jermaine Spencer of Northwestern State and Texas State’s Josh Naylor.
Sam Houston State’s Ryan Bright was selected as the league’s Freshman-of-the-Year after the Deer Park, Texas, product averaged 8.4 points and 4.3 rebounds during the regular-season.
After guiding Northwestern State to its first conference championship in 31 years with a win last Friday over McNeese State, head coach Mike McConathy was voted Coach-of-the-Year. In his sixth year in charge of the Demon program, McConathy guided the Demons to a 19-11 record and the No. 1 seed in this week’s O’Reilly Auto Parts/Southland Conference Tournament.
2005 ALL-SOUTHLAND CONFERENCE MEN’S BASKETBALL
First Team
Name University Pos. Cl. Ht. Hometown
Joe Thompson Sam Houston State G Sr. 6-4 Wharton, Texas
Alan Daniels Lamar F Jr. 6-6 Tulsa, Okla.
Ricky Woods Southeastern Louisiana F Jr. 6-6 New Orleans, La.
Steven Thomas Texas-Arlington F Jr. 6-5 Fort Worth, Texas
Nate Lofton Southeastern Louisiana C Sr. 6-10 New Orleans, La.
Second Team
Name University Pos. Cl. Ht. Hometown
Jermaine Wallace Northwestern State G Jr. 6-3 Heflin, La.
Willie Depron Nicholls State PG Sr. 6-1 White Castle, La.
John Millsap Texas-San Antonio F Sr. 6-6 Grambling, La.
Anthony Dill Texas State C Sr. 6-7 Richardson, Texas
Marcus Clark Stephen F. Austin G Jr. 5-10 Marshall, Texas
Third-Team
Edward Garriet McNeese State G Sr. 6-0 Beaumont, Texas
Chris Jordan Sam Houston State G Jr. 6-4 Hitchcock, Texas
Ray Anthony Lamar G Sr. 5-11 Aurora, Ill.
Jermaine Spencer Northwestern State F So. 6-7 New Iberia, La.
Josh Naylor Texas State G Sr. 6-0 Rockwall, Texas
HONORABLE MENTION: Byron Allen, NWLa.; Eddie Fobbs, SHSU; Tyronn Mitchell, NWLa.; Wilder Auguste, SHSU; Justin Harbert, UTSA; Thomas Fairley, LU.
PLAYER OF THE YEAR:
Joe Thompson, Sam Houston State
NEWCOMER OF THE YEAR:
Ricky Woods, Southeastern Louisiana
FRESHMAN OF THE YEAR:
Ryan Bright, Sam Houston State
COACH OF THE YEAR:
Mike McConathy, Northwestern State