Overland Park, Kansas The National Association of Basketball Coaches named its all-district teams today and University of New Orleans junior forward Hector Romero, earned his first of what should be several honors, as he was named to the NABC First Team All-District 8. Romero leads the Privateers in most offensive categories and is ranked nationally in points per game (20.6), rebounds (11.0) and overall double-doubles (16).
Romero who earlier this season earned Wilson Sun Belt Conference Player of the Week honors and Louisiana Sports Writers Association Player of the Week honors after leading the team to an upset win over LSU, the first by a New Orleans team at Lakefront Arena all-time, and scoring 29 points and grabbing 19 rebounds at then #4-ranked Florida. His performance over the Gators also earned him Sunshine Network Player of the Game honors for his game-highs and his 19 boards tied him for third most in the OConnell Center all-time.
Romero needed only eight points against Denver on Sunday, February 10th to become the first Privateer to reach 500 points scored in a season since Ervin Johnson reached the plateau during the 1992-93 season. Currently, his 515 points are second highest in the Sun Belt Conference (behind leading scorer Chris Davis 516). Hector also looks to have a spot in the UNO record books as he will become the first Privateer since Melvin Simon (1993-94) to finish the season averaging a 'double-double'. It also marks the ninth time in UNO program history that a player has averaged a double-double throughout the course of a season.
The 67", 240 pound native of Barcelona, Venezuela has scored in double-digits in all 25 games this season and has recorded 16 doubles, good for third in the nation according to Stats, Inc. and leading the Sun Belt Conference by 10 over the closest opponent.
Romero ranks among the Sun Belt Conference leaders in overall scoring, rebounding, field goal percentage and blocks. He has the second highest scoring output with his 35 points at Southwest Missouri State on December 1, 2001 and his 19 rebounds at #4-Florida are the highest in the conference this season.
For the second time in his career at the University of North Texas, junior Chris Davis has been selected second team All-District.
As a freshman in 1999-2000, Davis was also named second team All-District 9 by the NABC after leading the Big West Conference in scoring and ranking No. 14 in the country in scoring with a 21.7 average.
This season, Davis has led the Mean Green to a 13-11 (7-5 in the Sun Belt) record. He leads North Texas in scoring, rebounding and assists and entered this week as the No. 7-ranked scorer in the NCAA Division with a 22.4 average. Hes scored more than 500 points in three consecutive seasons and currently ranks No. 3 among UNTs all-time leading scorers with 1,625 career points.
Louisiana-Lafayette junior guard Anthony Johnson has been named second-team All-District.
A total of 150 student-athletes, from 15 districts, have been honored and are now eligible for the NABC/Pontiac Division I All-American Team. That will be announced at the conclusion of the 2001-02 season.
Johnson currently leads the Cajuns (14-9, 7-4 Sun Belt) with 16 points per game and nearly eight rebounds per contest. He has five double-doubles on the year and tied his career-high with 33 points in a win over North Texas Jan. 24. He is averaging more than 18 points per game in SBC games.
Arkansas-Little Rocks Nick Zachary was also named to District 8s second team. Zachary has helped UALR to a 16-7 record as they currently sit in second place in the Sun Belt Conferences East Division.
The sophomore guard from Rockford, Ill., ranks third in the league with an average of 16.2 points per game
Arkansas States Jason Jennings, a senior center from Bald Knob, Ark., is the other District 8 pick from the league. Jennings, named to the second team, is averaging 14.8 points and 6.6 rebounds per game. Jennings also ranks 11th in blocks in the Sun Belt with 184.
Western Kentucky senior center Chris Marcus added another accolade to his resume when he was named to the District 7 second team. Marcus, who has only played in eight games this season due to a stress fracture in his ankle, is averaging 13.1 points and 8.6 rebounds a game.
Marcus helped lead the Hilltoppers to a 64-52 season-opening upset win over then-No. 4 Kentucky in Rupp Arena. The 7-footer finished the game with 13 points and 10 rebounds.