NEW ORLEANS After leading their respective squads to the best record in the league, a pair of juniors have been named Sun Belt Conference Player of the Year for mens and womens basketball.
Denver center Yemi Nicholson and Western Kentucky guard Tiffany Porter-Talbert won the leagues top honors on Wednesday, as the All-Sun Belt Conference teams were announced.
The teams were voted on by Sun Belt school head coaches as well as a selected media panel, and will be presented this weekend at the 2005 Aropostale Sun Belt Conference Mens and Womens Basketball Championships in Denton, Texas.
On the mens side, four of the five first-team selections were juniors. Other juniors joining Nicholson on the first team include Florida International forward Ivan Almonte, Louisiana-Lafayette guard Tiras Wade and Western Kentucky guard Anthony Winchester. Sophomore New Orleans guard Bo McCalebb, who was the league Preseason Player of the Year, was also on the first team.
Other individuals winning specialty awards include Denver head coach Terry Carroll, who was named Coach of the Year, Louisiana-Lafayette guard Orien Greene (Defensive Player of the Year), Wade (Newcomer of the Year) and Western Kentucky guard Courtney Lee (Freshman of the Year).
On the womens side, Arkansas States Brian Boyer and Louisiana-Lafayettes Kelley Hall were Co-Coaches of the Year. Middle Tennessee senior Patrice Holmes was selected Defensive Player of the Year, while Western Kentucky forward Crystal Kelly (Freshman of the Year and South Alabama guard JoAnna Williams (Newcomer of the Year) round out the awards.
First team All-Sun Belt members include Porter-Talbert; Holmes; Kelly; Arkansas-Little Rocks Jocelyn Love; Arkansas States Ali Carter; Adrianne Davie and Rudi Sims; Florida Internationals Milena Tomova; Louisiana-Lafayettes Anna Petrakova and Western Kentuckys Leslie Logsdon.
Porter-Talbert has had a brilliant year for the Lady Toppers. Leading the squad to its third straight Sun Belt East Division title, Porter-Talbert is third in the league in scoring (18 points per game), second in steals (2.4), seventh in rebounding (7.1), and 12th in assists (2.7).
Nicholson, meanwhile, is one of the most improved players in the country. The 6-10 post player, who averaged 7.5 points per game and 4.3 rebounds per game as a sophomore, is putting up 18.7 points (third in the league), 8.7 boards (second) and is the only player in the league averaging more than three blocks per contest.
In Sun Belt-only games, Nicholson averaged 21.2 points and 9.7 rebounds and 4 blocks per contest.
He helped lead the Pioneers, who were picked to finish last in the West Division according to a preseason coaches poll, to their first ever Sun Belt West Division title.
ALL-SUN BELT CONFERENCE MENS BASKETBALL TEAM
FIRST TEAM Pos. Hgt. Class School
Ivan Almonte F 6-6 Jr. Florida International
Bo McCalebb G 6-0 So. New Orleans
Yemi Nicholson C 6-10 Jr. Denver
Tiras Wade G 6-6 Jr. Louisiana-Lafayette
Anthony Winchester G 6-4 Jr. Western Kentucky
SECOND TEAM
Brandon Freeman G 6-2 Sr. Arkansas-Little Rock
Orien Greene G 6-4 Sr. Louisiana-Lafayette
Brian Hamilton F 6-6 Sr. Louisiana-Lafayette
Leonard Hopkins G 6-3 Sr. North Texas
Dewarick Spencer G 6-4 Sr. Arkansas State
THIRD TEAM
Rodney Billups G 5-10 Sr. Denver
Michael Cuffee G/F 6-5 Sr. Middle Tennessee
Mike Dean G 6-3 Sr. Middle Tennessee
Mario Jointer G 6-3 Jr. South Alabama
J.J. Montgomery G 6-5 Sr. Arkansas State
Player of the Year: Nicholson, Denver
Defensive Player of the Year: Greene, Louisiana-Lafayette
Newcomer of the Year: Wade, Louisiana-Lafayette
Freshman of the Year: Courtney Lee (G/F, 6-4), Western Kentucky
Coach of the Year: Terry Carroll, Denver
ALL-SUN BELT CONFERENCE WOMENS BASKETBALL TEAM
FIRST TEAM Pos. Hgt. Class School
Ali Carter G 5-9 Jr. Arkansas State
Adrianne Davie C 6-3 So. Arkansas State
Patrice Holmes G 5-9 Sr. Middle Tennessee
Crystal Kelly F 6-3 Fr. Western Kentucky
Leslie Logsdon G 5-11 Sr. Western Kentucky
Jocelyn Love G/F 6-0 So. Arkansas-Little Rock
Anna Petrakova C 6-3 Sr. Louisiana-Lafayette
Rudy Sims G 5-7 So. Arkansas State
Tiffany-Porter Talbert G 5-7 Jr. Western Kentucky
Milena Tomova F/C 6-3 Sr. Florida International
HONORABLE MENTION
Ashley Blanche G 5-4 Jr. Louisiana-Lafayette
Erika Bobo G 5-8 Jr. North Texas
Genevieve Delk F/C 6-0 Sr. South Alabama
Krystle Horton F 6-2 So. Middle Tennessee
Tia Stovall F 6-1 Jr. Middle Tennessee
Player of the Year: Porter-Talbert, Western Kentucky
Defensive Player of the Year: Holmes, Middle Tennessee
Newcomer of the Year: JoAnna Williams (5-10, Jr., G), South Alabama
Freshman of the Year: Crystal Kelly, Western Kentucky
Co-Coaches of the Year: Brian Boyer, ASU; J. Kelley Hall, Louisiana-Lafayette