Parker Leads Southland’s Preseason All-League Selections
Southland Conference
FRISCO, Texas – Seven players who earned All-Southland Conference honors at the end of last season return to highlight the official 2014-15 preseason all-conference teams, which were announced by the league office on Tuesday.
Six institutions placed at least one student-athlete on the two teams, including four schools that placed two. Stephen F. Austin, Northwestern State, Texas A&M-Corpus Christi and Sam Houston State each placed two student-athletes on the all-conference teams while UIW and McNeese State placed one student-athlete on the preseason squads.
The seven returning all-conference players – Stephen F. Austin senior forward Jacob Parker and junior guard Thomas Walkup, Northwestern State junior guard Jalan West, Texas A&M-Corpus Christi senior guard John Jordan, UIW senior guard Denzel Livingston and Sam Houston State senior guards Jabari Peters and Kaheem Ransom – were automatic selections to the preseason teams, leaving only three spots available for the league’s coaches to select.
Parker leads way on the preseason first team after being named the league’s player of the year in 2013-14. Parker helped guide the Lumberjacks to a 32-3 record, including a perfect 18-0 conference mark and a second round win in the NCAA tournament. Last season, Parker averaged 14.2 points, 7.1 rebounds and 1.4 steals per game.
West earned a spot on the preseason first-team all-conference after being named defensive player of the year and first-team all-conference a season ago. West, who averaged 19.4 points, 6.4 assists and 2.5 steals per game, helped lead the Demons to a 17-14 overall and 12-6 league record with a trip to the conference tournament semifinals.
Jordan, a first-team all-conference pick in 2013-14, is one of four guards on the preseason first team. Jordan was an integral part of the Islander team that had a 12-win improvement from the previous season and finish second in the conference standings. Jordan averaged 14.5 points, 5.4 assists and 1.5 steals last season.
Completing the first team is Livingston, who ranked third in the conference with 20.3 points per contest and was a second-team selection last season, and Peters, who led the Bearkats with 12.6 points per game and was named to the third team in 2013-14.
The preseason all-conference second team includes Walkup, the 2014 conference tournament most valuable player, Ransom, a third-team honoree last year, McNeese State senior guard Kevin Hardy, Northwestern State sophomore guard Zeek Woodley, the league’s freshman of the year a season ago, and A&M-Corpus Christi’s Rashawn Thomas.
The 2014-15 season begins Friday, Nov. 14 with conference play starting up Jan. 3. The 2015 Southland Conference Men’s Basketball Tournament will be held March 11-14, at the Merrell Center in Katy, Texas, and will feature an eight-team single-elimination format.
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First Team |
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Name |
Cl. |
Pos. |
School |
Hometown |
|
Jacob Parker |
Sr. |
F |
Stephen F. Austin |
Bixby, Okla. |
|
Jalan West |
Jr. |
G |
Northwestern State |
Bossier City, La. |
|
John Jordan |
Sr. |
G |
A&M-Corpus Christi |
Houston, Texas |
|
Denzel Livingston |
Sr. |
G |
UIW |
Houston, Texas |
|
Jabari Peters |
Sr. |
G |
Sam Houston State |
Brooklyn, N.Y. |
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|
|
|
|
|
|
Second Team |
|
|
|
|
|
Name |
Cl. |
Pos. |
School |
Hometown |
|
Thomas Walkup |
Jr. |
G |
Stephen F. Austin |
Pasadena, Texas |
|
Kaheem Ransom |
Sr. |
G |
Sam Houston State |
Wichita, Kan. |
|
Kevin Hardy |
Sr. |
G |
McNeese State |
Lake Charles, La. |
|
Zeek Woodley |
So. |
G |
Northwestern State |
Pelican, La. |
|
Rashawn Thomas |
So. |
F |
A&M-Corpus Christi |
Oklahoma City, Okla. |