Twelve schools are represented on the 2015 All-Conference USA men's basketball first, second and third teams, as announced today. Voting on the awards was done by the C-USA head coaches and media members in each conference city.
Old Dominion junior guard Trey Freeman (Virginia Beach, VA.) is coming off back-to-back C-USA Player of the Week selections. He ranks second in the league for scoring (17.2 ppg), with 11 games with 20 or more points, including four of the last five games, and eighth in assists (3.4 rpg). A transfer from Campbell who hails from Virginia Beach, Virginia, Freeman returned to his home state and has been a key to the Monarchs' 24-6 record this season, including a perfect 17-0 mark at home. He was also selected to the C-USA All-Academic Team.
Senior Kenneth "Speedy" Smith of Louisiana Tech is a repeat selection to the first team after leading the Bulldogs to the outright C-USA regular season title. He started all 31 games for the regular-season champion Bulldogs and leads the league in assists and assist-to-turnover ratio, while swiping the third-most steals in C-USA with 56. The program's career record holder for assists and steals, Smith currently ranks third nationally in assists per game (7.5). A native of St. Petersburg, Florida, Smith has registered nine games this season with double-digit assists.
UTEP sophomore forward Vince Hunter also repeats as an all-conference selection, moving up to the first team after earning a second-team nod last season as the 2014 C-USA Freshman of the Year. Hunter is a four-time Player of the Week selection this season and averages 15.2 points (10th in C-USA) and a league best 9.3 rebounds per game. The Detroit native registered 12 double-doubles this season and gained national attention as one of 15 student-athletes on the watch list for the inaugural Julius Erving Small Forward of the Year Award.
UTSA senior forward Jeromie Hill earned his spot on the all-conference first team after having to sit out last season with a knee injury. He is having a career season, averaging 16.3 points and 8.0 rebounds per game to be the only player in C-USA to rank among the league's top five in both categories, ranking fourth in both. Earlier this season, he became only the second player in UTSA program history to total 1,500 career points and 700 career rebounds. He also registered the top offensive performance in C-USA this season with a career-high 36 points. Hill is the second all-conference first-team selection on the C-USA all-academic team.
WKU senior guard T.J. Price rounds out the first team. In the Hilltoppers' inaugural season in C-USA, the Slidell, Louisiana, native finished the regular season as the league's scoring leader with 17.6 points per game. Price has scored in double-figures 26 times this season and registered 20 or more points in 11 contests. Besides ranking second on three-pointers made and three-point field goal percentage, he had also contributed 5.4 rebounds and 3.8 assists per game.
Two more members of the LA Tech Bulldogs were represented on the all-conference second team, including 2014 all-conference third-team selection Alex Hamilton. He is joined by teammate Raheem Appleby and fellow seniors Dennis Mavin of FIU, Seth Gearhart of Rice and George Fant of WKU - the Hilltoppers' second all-conference selection.
Charlotte senior guard Pierriá Henry is a two-time third-team honoree. Henry is one of three seniors, joining Jordan Williams of North Texas and Chip Armelin of Southern Miss. Armelin was the top scorer in conference play this season, averaging 18.11 ppg. The senior trio is joined by UAB junior Robert Brown and the second sophomore honoree Ryan Taylor of Marshall.
The Conference USA All-Freshman and All-Defensive Teams, as well as superlative awards for Freshman of the Year, Defensive Player of the Year, Newcomer of the Year and Sixth Man of the Year will be announced Tuesday. The C-USA Player of the Year and the C-USA Gene Bartow Coach of the Year will be unveiled on Wednesday.
The 2015 Conference USA Men's Basketball Championship will be held March 11-14 at the Legacy Arena at BJCC in Birmingham, Alabama. Tickets are available through Ticketmaster and by calling (205) 975-8221.
2014-15 ALL-CONFERENCE USA FIRST TEAM
Kenneth "Speedy" Smith, Louisiana Tech, Sr., G, 6-3, 180, St. Petersburg, Florida
Trey Freeman, Old Dominion, Jr., G, 6-2, 175, Virginia Beach, Virginia
Vince Hunter, UTEP, So., F, 6-8, 205, Detroit, Michigan
Jeromie Hill, UTSA, Sr., F, 6-8, 250, Cairns, Australia
T.J. Price, WKU, Sr., G, 6-4, 223, Slidell, Louisiana
2014-15 ALL-CONFERENCE USA SECOND TEAM
Dennis Mavin, FIU, Sr., G, 6-3, 183, Gainesville, Florida
Raheem Appleby, Louisiana Tech, Sr., G, 6-4, 160, Jacksonville, Arkansas
Alex Hamilton, Louisiana Tech, Jr., G, 6-4, 190, Chipley, Florida
Seth Gearhart, Rice, Sr., F, 6-7, 215, Wilsonville, Oregon
George Fant, WKU, Sr., F, 6-6, 250, Bowling Green, Kentucky
2014-15 ALL-CONFERENCE USA THIRD TEAM
Pierriá Henry, Charlotte, Sr., G, 6-4, 188, Charleston, West Virginia
Ryan Taylor, Marshall, So., F, 6-5, 225, Indianapolis, Indiana
Jordan Williams, North Texas, Sr., G, 6-6, 202, Dallas, Texas
Chip Armelin, Southern Miss, Sr., G, 6-4, 200, Sulphur, Louisiana
Robert Brown, UAB, Jr., G, 6-5, 190, Clermont, Florida