By Alex Edwards
Written for the LSWA
MONROE, La. – Tournament teams LSU, ULM and Louisiana-Lafayette had players and/or coaches take home top honors when the final votes were tallied for the 2015 Louisiana Sports Writers Association All-Louisiana Men’s College Basketball team announced this weekend.
The team was selected by a panel of LSWA members based on information provided by the four-year basketball playing SIDs that submitted requested information on their various teams. Media members could vote for any player on the list, while SIDs could not vote for players from their own school
Jarell Martin of LSU was named Louisiana Player of the Year after finishing third in the SEC in both scoring (16.9 ppg) and rebounding (9.2 rpg). The sophomore forward finished with 15 double-doubles including five in his final seven games of the season. Martin reached double figures in 28 games played, and was a consensus First-Team All-SEC selection.
Jalyn Patterson of LSU and Bryce Washington of UL-Lafayette were honored as Co-Freshmen of the Year after a tie in voting. Patterson moved into the LSU starting five for the final 11 games of the season. He finished the season averaging 6.8 points and 2.4 rebounds per contest. Patterson scored 20 points in a road game at Arkansas behind a 6-for-8 effort from beyond the arc.
Washington became a regular starter for the Ragin’ Cajuns beginning on January 29. After becoming a starter, the New Orleans native averaged 7.9 points and 6.2 rebounds and shot 52.2% from the floor. Washington reached double figures in scoring eight times and had at least seven rebounds in 13 games.
LSU’s Keith Hornsby was tabbed Louisiana Newcomer of the Year after netting 13.4 points per game, 4.2 rebounds per game and 2.1 assists per game. The Williamsburg, Va., hit three or more three-pointers in 14 different games and he totaled 26 double-digit scoring efforts. Hornsby averaged nearly 36 minutes per game, the second best mark in the SEC.
ULM head coach Keith Richard was tabbed Louisiana Coach of the Year after guiding the Warhawks to a 14-win improvement. Richard, who was also named Sun Belt Conference Coach of the Year, led ULM to 24 wins (third most in program history) and a spot in the College Basketball Invitational Finals.
LSU and Louisiana Tech tied with three All-Louisiana honorees on the three selected five-man teams. McNeese State, Northwestern State and ULM each had two players honored, while the All-Louisiana Teams were rounded out by Centenary, Tulane and UL-Lafayette.
The All-Louisiana First Team was comprised of Louisiana Player of the Year Jarell Martin (LSU) as well as Desharick Guidry (McNeese State), Shawn Long (UL-Lafayette), Jordan Mickey (LSU) and Jalan West (Northwestern State).
Guidry averaged a double-double at 17.3 points per game and 11.2 rebounds per contest. His mark of 11.2 rebounds per game was the best in the Southland Conference and he finished the regular-season ranked seventh in the NCAA.
Long was the only player in the Sun Belt Conference to rank in the top five in both scoring (16.2 ppg) and rebounding (10.2). In a road contest at Arkansas State (Jan. 17), Long became the first Ragin’ Cajun since 1981 to tally a 20-20 game as he finished with 22 points and 22 rebounds.
Mickey led the nation in blocked shots at 3.64 blocks per game and he led the Southeastern Conference in rebounding (9.9 rpg). Mickey, who missed averaging a double-double by just two rebounds, tallied a SEC leading 16 double-doubles in 2014-15.
West was the nation’s leader in assists as he registered 7.7 assists per game and he ranked 19th in the NCAA in scoring at 19.6 points per game. The junior guard broke Northwestern State records in both assists in a season and assists in a career and he ranks third among active players in the NCAA in career assists at 6.39 assists per game.
Second Team All-Louisiana honorees were: Raheem Appleby (Louisiana Tech), Alex Hamilton (Louisiana Tech), Tylor Ongwae (ULM), Kenneth ‘Speedy’ Smith (Louisiana Tech) and Zeek Woodley (Northwestern State). The All-Louisiana Third Team was comprised of Louis Dabney (Tulane), Majok Deng (ULM), Kevin Hardy (McNeese State), Keith Hornsby (LSU) and James Sapp (Centenary).
LSWA All-Louisiana Men’s College Basketball Team
FIRST TEAM ALL-LOUISIANA
NAME, SCHOOL/CL./POS./HOMETOWN/NOTES
Desharick Guidry, McNeese State/Sr./F/Lake Charles, La./SLC First Team, 17.3 ppg, 11.2 rpg
Shawn Long, UL-Lafayette/Jr./F-C/Morgan City, La./Top 5 pts-reb SBC, 16.2 ppg, 10.2 rpg
Jarell Martin, LSU/So./F/Baton Rouge, La./SEC First Team, 16.9 ppg, 9.2 rpg, 3rd SEC pts-reb
Jordan Mickey, LSU/So./F/Dallas, Texas/SEC First Team, 15.4 ppg, 9.9 rpg, 3.64 bpg
Jalan West, Northwestern State, Jr./PG/Bossier City, La./SLC POY, 19.6 ppg, NCAA best 7.7 apg
Player of the Year: Jarell Martin, LSU
Voting: Martin 15; West, Northwestern State 13; Smith, Louisiana Tech 2; Long, UL-Lafayette 1
Co-Freshmen of the Year: Jalyn Patterson, LSU & Bryce Washington, UL Lafayette
Voting: Patterson, LSU 9; Washington, UL-Lafayette 9; McWright, LSUS 6; Parker, Loyola 4; Salvant, Xavier 2; Osetkowski, Tulane 1
Newcomer of the Year: Keith Hornsby, LSU
Voting: Hornsby, LSU 15; Jackson, Southeastern 7; Deng, ULM 6; James, LSUS 2; Wright, UL-Lafayette 1.
Coach of the Year: Keith Richard, ULM
Voting: Richard, ULM 16; White, Louisiana Tech 12; Jones, LSU 2; Jackson, Xavier 1
SECOND TEAM ALL-LOUISIANA
NAME, SCHOOL/CL./POS./HOMETOWN/NOTES
Raheem Appleby, Louisiana Tech/Sr./G/Jacksonville, Ark./All-C-USA Second Team, 15.1 ppg, 2.7 rpg
Alex Hamilton, Louisiana Tech/Jr./G/Chipley, Fla./All-C-USA Second Team, 15.0 ppg, 3.3 rpg, 2.7 apg
Tylor Ongwae, ULM/Sr./F/Eldoret, Kenya/All-SBC First Team, 14.3 ppg, 6.6 rpg
Kenneth ‘Speedy’ Smith, Louisiana Tech/Sr./G/St. Petersburg, Fla./C-USA POY, 6.4 ppg, 4.0 rpg, 7.5 apg
Zeek Woodley, Northwestern State/So./G/All-SLC Second Team, 22.6 ppg, 5.1 rpg
THIRD TEAM ALL-LOUISIANA
NAME, SCHOOL/CL./POS./HOMETOWN/NOTES
Louis Dabney, Tulane/Jr./G/New Orleans, La./All-American Conf. Second Team, 13.6 ppg, 3.3 rpg
Majok Deng, ULM/Jr./F/Adelaide, Australia/All-SBC Second Team, 10.2 ppg, 7.4 rpg
Kevin Hardy, McNeese State/Sr./G/Lake Charles, La./All-SLC Third Team, 13.6 ppg, 6.7 rpg, 4.0 apg
Keith Hornsby, LSU/Jr./G/Williamsburg, Va./13.4 ppg, 4.2 rpg, 26 double figure games
James Sapp, Centenary/So./F/Shongaloo, La./SCAC POY, 16.3 ppg, 8.0 rpg
HONORABLE MENTION
Zay Jackson, Southeastern, Jr., G, Hammond, La.; Lyndale James, LSUS, Jr, F, Bossier City, La.; Tim Quarterman, LSU, So., G, Savannah, Ga.; Adrian Rodgers, Southern, Jr., G, Atlanta, Ga.; Morris Wright, Xavier, So., G, Zachary, La.