RUSTON, La. — LSU’s Marcus Thornton and Anthony Randolph earned first-team All-Louisiana honors on the Louisiana Sports Writers Association college basketball team announced Saturday and the pair also were named the top new players in the state.
Thornton, a junior college transfer was named the Newcomer of the Year, while Randolph was named the Freshman of the Year. UNO’s Bo McCalebb was the Player of the year and Chad McDowell, who took LSU-Shreveport to the NAIA national tournament, was named the Coach of the Year as the Pilots finished 31-3.
Thornton averaged a team best 19.6 points per game and 5.6 rebounds a game while making the second most three-pointers in a season in LSU history (90). Thornton averaged 33.6 minutes per game.
Randolph averaged 15.6 points per game and 8.5 rebounds, while blocking 70 shots. He was third overall in rebounds and blocks in league stats and led league freshman in rebounding and blocks.
The first team as selected by a panel of media and sports information personnel was McCalebb, Tulane’s David Gomez, LSU-Shreveport’s Josh Porter, Randolph and Thornton.
LSU’s Chris Johnson, one of the most improved players in the state as despite missing almost four weeks with a broken bone in his hand, averaged 11.6 points per game, 6.6 rebounds and had 66 blocks in 25 games, was chosen a member of the state’s third team.
First Team
David Gomez, Tulane
Bo McCalebb, UNO
Josh Porter, LSU-Shreveport
Anthony Randolph, LSU
Marcus Thornton, LSU
Second Team
Kyle Gibson, Louisiana Tech
Trey Gilder, Northwestern State
Kevyn Green, Southeastern
Tony Hooper, UL-Monroe
Anthony Williams, Grambling State
Luke Zumo, Loyola
Third Team
Chris Davis, Southern
Kyndall Dykes, UNO
Josh Johnson, Louisiana College
Chris Johnson, LSU
Jamon Morris, LSU-Shreveport
Player of the Year
Bo McCalebb, UNO
Newcomer of the Year
Marcus Thornton, LSU
Freshman of the Year
Anthony Randolph, LSU
Coach of the Year
Chad McDowell, LSU-Shreveport