IRVING,TX.--The ODU Monarchs who led the nation with the biggest turnaround in victories with 18 last year and advanced to the semifinals of the CBI post season tournament have been selected to finish fourth in Conference USA, as selected by the league head coaches. Monarch junior guard Aaron Bacote was also selected to the C-USA pre-season All-Conference team.
LA Tech returns four starters from last year's squad that posted a 29-8 overall record and earned a share of the C-USA regular-season title for head coach Mike White. Three were selected to the preseason all-conference team, including returning 2014 All-Conference USA first-teamer Kenneth "Speedy" Smith. The senior guard was also the C-USA Defensive Player of the Year last season. Smith ranked second in the nation for assists, averaging 7.7 per game, and the 278 assists he dished out set school and C-USA single-season records. Smith also set the record with 149 assists in conference play.
Senior guard Raheem Appleby returns from a left ankle injury last season that limited him to just 25 games. At the time of his injury, he was averaging a team-high 16.1 ppg and had been named MVP of the Gulf Coast Showcase Tournament. Junior guard Alex Hamilton is another key piece of an impressive Bulldog backcourt. Hamilton was named to the All-Conference USA third team and the 2014 C-USA All-Tournament Team. He is the team's top returning scorer with 14.5 ppg., ranking 10th in the conference.
UTEP was chosen second by the coaches and Tim Floyd's squad will be led by preseason team and 2014 All-Conference USA second-team selections Vince Hunter and Julian Washburn. Hunter was the 2014 C-USA Freshman of the Year, five-time Freshman of the Week and a finalist for the Kyle Macy National Freshman of the Year award. Washburn enters the 2014-15 season with 1,186 career points to rank 18th in Miner history. He averaged 13.1 ppg and earned his second consecutive nod to the C-USA All-Defensive Team.
Charlotte received the third highest number of votes and coach Alan Major returns four starters from a team that won the 2013 Puerto Rico Tip-Off. Senior guard Pierriá Henry represents the 49ers on the league's preseason squad. A third-team all-conference and all-defensive team selection last year, he was the only player in C-USA to average double-figure points (12.3) and more than five rebounds (5.1) and assists (5.8) per game.
Old Dominion, under second-year head coach Jeff Jones, slotted in at the fourth spot, as they return four starters from last year's squad. Junior guard Aaron Bacote is the Monarchs' selection to the all-conference preseason team. The leading scorer (15.5 ppg) a year ago, Bacote tallied a career-best 28 points twice during the season against Missouri State and William & Mary.
Newcomer WKU also placed two student-athletes on the C-USA preseason team in seniors George Fant and T.J. Price. Fant averaged 13.3 ppg. and 6.6 rpg. for his hometown Hilltoppers last season. The Bowling Green, Kentucky, native started all 31 games for WKU. He was named to the Sun Belt's All-Conference third team. Price earned All-Sun Belt second-team honors, averaging 15.5 ppg with double-figure points in 25 of 30 of the contests in which he played. Price enters the season ranked 25th on WKU's career scoring chart with 1,236 points. His 205 career three-pointers rank fourth in Hilltopper history.
UAB senior forward C.J. Washington rounds out the preseason team. Washington is the Blazers' top returning scorer (13.0 ppg.) and top rebounder (6.9 rpg). He topped the 20-point mark six times during the 2013-14 season, including an output of 28 points against Temple in the Charleston Classic.
Conference USA will open its 20th men's basketball campaign on Friday, November 14, and will culminate with the 2015 Conference USA Basketball Championship, March 11-14 in Birmingham, Ala. UAB will serve as the host school for the second time in four years. The men's championship game is slated for Saturday, March 14 at 1:30 p.m. EST/12:35 a.m. CST on FOX Sports 1.
2014-15 C-USA MEN’S BASKETBALL PRESEASON ALL-CONFERENCE TEAM
Pierriá Henry Charlotte Senior G Charleston, W.Va.
Raheem Appleby Louisiana Tech Senior G Jacksonville, Ark.
Alex Hamilton Louisiana Tech Junior G Chipley, Fla.
Kenneth Smith Louisiana Tech Senior G St. Petersburg, Fla.
Aaron Bacote Old Dominion Junior G Hampton, Va.
C.J. Washington UAB Senior F Augusta, Ga.
Vince Hunter UTEP Sophomore F Detroit, Mich.
Julian Washburn UTEP Senior F/G Duncanville, Texas
George Fant WKU Senior F Bowling Green, Ky.
T.J. Price WKU Senior G Slidell, La.