NORFOLK, Va. – Old Dominion men’s basketball forward Brandan Stith was named to the Conference USA All-Defensive Team, while teammate Zoran Talley was named to the C-USA All-Freshman Team, as voted on by the conference’s head coaches and select media.
Stith ranks 14th in NCAA for offensive rebounds per game with 3.84 (2nd in C-USA); in C-USA play he is averaging a league best 4.4. He ranks 42nd nationally for blocks per game with 2.04, which ranks third in the conference. Stith is 30th in country for rebounds per game at 9.7, which ranks 4th in C-USA. He recorded seven double-doubles this season and ranks fifth in C-USA for defensive rebounds per game with 5.80, while hauling down 6.1 in C-USA play. Stith is currently averaging a double-double, 11.8 points and 10.3 rebounds, in Conference USA play.
Talley is averaging 8.2 points per game, 4.8 rebounds per game and 2.1 assists per game in C-USA play this season. He is shooting 51.2% from the floor, which ranks 14th in the conference. As a freshman, Talley is Old Dominion’s fourth leading scorer and third leading rebounder. The Indiana-native has compiled 13 double-digit scoring outputs this year and tallied at least five rebounds in 15 games. He recorded a double-double, 16 points/10rebounds, in ODU’s win over UTEP. Talley has proved his versatility by dishing out at least 1 assist in 22 games. He has started 24 of the 28 games he has played in, averaging 23.9 minutes, while shooting 71.1% from the charity stripe.
All-Conference USA first-team selections James Kelly of Marshall and Marcus Evans of Rice, along with the UAB duo of William Lee and Dirk Williams received the 2015-16 Conference USA men’s basketball specialty awards. Kelly was named the C-USA Newcomer of the Year, while Evans earned Freshman of the Year honors after winning a league-record 10 freshman weekly honors throughout the season. Lee claimed C-USA Defensive Player of the Year laurels and teammate Williams came off the bench for all 31 of the Blazers’ games this season to be tabbed the Sixth Player of the Year
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Kelly adds C-USA Newcomer of the Year to his awards as he has already been named to the All-Conference USA first team. A native of Ann Arbor, Michigan, and a transfer from Miami (Fla.), Kelly made an immediate impact in his first season on the floor for the Herd. He ranks third in the league for both scoring (20.6 ppg), including 15 games with 20 or more points, and rebounding (9.9 rpg). Kelly also ranks among the top 25 nationally in those categories and is one of only two NCAA Division I players who can claim that accomplishment. Kelly has been a key to the Herd’s 12-6 record in conference play this season to secure a bye in the C-USA Championship with a No. 3 seed. Last season, Marshall participated as the No. 12 seed.
Evans was the unanimous selection as the Freshman of the Year. He earned weekly honors a record 10 times, including the last six in a row. He became just the ninth freshman in C-USA history to earn first-team honors and the first since 2012. Evans ranks second in the league for scoring (21.2 ppg) and his 658 points ranks third among freshmen all-time in the 21-year history of the conference. A native of Chesapeake, Virginia, Evans also leads the league in steals and ranks 19th nationally with 2.1 per game in 31 starts. He is joined on the All-Freshman Team by the Charlotte duo of Jon Davis and Andrien White, Old Dominion forward Zoran Talley and UTEP forward Terry Winn.
Lee was named the C-USA Defensive Player of the Year after finishing the regular season as the top shot blocker in the conference, and ranked fifth nationally, with 3.03 per game. Lee also earned a spot on the All-Conference USA third team as he added an average of 10.6 points and 6.3 rebounds. The Plantersville, Alabama, native has swatted at least one shot in 43-straight games, which included a career-high eight Feb. 6 against Florida Atlantic. His biggest block of the season came over the weekend when his rejection at FAU in the final seconds preserved a one-point lead and allowed UAB to ultimately post a three-point victory over the Owls.
The only repeat selection on the All-Defensive Team is FIU senior Adrian Diaz, who also ranks among the top 10 shot blockers nationally. Lee and Diaz are joined on the defensive squad by Evans and fellow all-conference first-teamer Louisiana Tech senior Alex Hamilton, as well as Old Dominion redshirt sophomore forward Brandan Stith.
Williams came off the bench for UAB in 30 of 31 contests this season and was a tremendous spark to the Blazers’ regular-season title. The junior guard from Homewood, Alabama, ranks fourth on the team in scoring by averaging 9.9 points per game. As a reserve, Williams was the team’s top scorer five times, including three of the last five contests.
The 2016 Conference USA Men’s Basketball Championship tips off today, March 8, at Bartow Arena with one game at 4 p.m. CT. The rest of the week’s games will be played at the Legacy Arena at the Birmingham-Jefferson Convention Complex in Birmingham, Alabama. Saturday’s title game begins at 2:30 p.m. EST/1:30 p.m. CST and will be nationally televised on FOX Sports 1. Tickets are available through TicketMaster or by visiting the Legacy Arena box office.
2015-16 CONFERENCE USA ALL-FRESHMAN TEAM
Jon Davis, Charlotte, G, 6-2, 193, Upper Marlboro, Maryland
Andrien White, Charlotte, G, 6-3, 184, Richmond, Virginia
Zoran Talley, Old Dominion, F, 6-7, 195, Merrillville, Indiana
Marcus Evans, Rice, G, 6-2, 190, Chesapeake, Virginia
Terry Winn, UTEP, F, 6-7, 230, Monroe, Louisiana
2015-16 CONFERENCE USA FRESHMAN OF THE YEAR
Marcus Evans, Rice, G, 6-2, 190, Chesapeake, Virginia
2015-16 CONFERENCE USA ALL-DEFENSIVE TEAM (*repeat selection)
*Adrian Diaz, FIU, Jr., F, 6-10, 230, Miami, Florida
Alex Hamilton, Louisiana Tech, Sr., G, 6-4, 194, Chipley, Florida
Brandan Stith, Old Dominion, R-So., F, 6-7, 230, Lawrenceville, Virginia
Marcus Evans, Rice, Fr., G, 6-2, 190, Chesapeake, Virginia
William Lee, UAB, So., F, 6-9, 210, Plantersville, Alabama
2015-16 CONFERENCE USA DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE YEAR
William Lee, UAB, So., F, 6-9, 210, Plantersville, Alabama
2015-16 CONFERENCE USA NEWCOMER OF THE YEAR
James Kelly, Marshall, Sr., F, 6-8, 259, Ann Arbor, Michigan
2015-16 CONFERENCE USA SIXTH MAN OF THE YEAR
Dirk Williams, UAB, Sr., G, 6-5, 180, Homewood, Alabama