Walkup Lead Southland’s Preseason All-League Selections
Southland Conference
2015-16 Men's Basketball Media Guide (PDF)
FRISCO, Texas – Four players who earned All-Southland Conference honors at the end of last season return to highlight the official 2015-16 preseason all-conference teams, which were announced by the league office on Tuesday.
Eight institutions placed at least one student-athlete on the two teams, including two schools that placed two. Stephen F. Austin and Northwestern State each placed two student-athletes on the all-conference teams while Texas A&M-Corpus Christi, Sam Houston State, Southeastern Louisiana, McNeese State, UIW and Houston Baptist placed one student-athlete on the preseason squads.
The four returning all-conference players – Stephen F. Austin senior guard/forward Thomas Walkup, Northwestern State senior guard Jalan West and junior guard Zeek Woodley, and A&M-Corpus Christi junior forward Rashawn Thomas– were automatic selections to the preseason teams, leaving six spots available for the league’s coaches to select.
Walkup leads the way on the preseason first team after being named the league’s player of the year in 2014-15. Walkup, a two-time Southland tournament MVP, helped guide the Lumberjacks to a 29-5 record, including an impressive 17-1 conference mark and a second consecutive trip to the NCAA tournament. Last season, Walkup averaged 15.6 points, 6.5 rebounds and 3.7 assists per game.
West earned preseason first-team all-conference after receiving first-team honors for the second straight year. West, who averaged 20.0 points, 7.7 assists and 2.1 steals per game, helped lead the Demons to a 19-13 overall and 13-5 league record with a trip to the CollegeInsiders.com Tournament. West is a three-time all-defensive team selection.
Woodley, a second-team all-conference pick in 2014-15, led the league in scoring a season ago with 22.2 points per game. Woodley proved to be one of the more consistent shooters last season, going 56.0 percent from the field in 32 games for the Demons.
Completing the first team is Rashawn Thomas and Paul Baxter, who averaged 13.7 and 8.2 points per game, respectively, last season. Thomas is the leading scorer returning for the Islanders this season after a 20-14 overall and 13-5 conference mark, while Baxter is the top scorer returning for the Bearkats, who finished second last season at 26-9 overall and 15-3 in conference.
The preseason all-conference second team includes SFA sophomore guard Ty Charles, Southeastern Louisiana senior guard Zay Jackson, McNeese State senior post player Craig McFerrin, UIW senior forward Kyle Hittle and Houston Baptist senior guard Anthony Odunsi.
The 2015-16 season begins Friday, Nov. 13 with conference play starting up Jan. 2. The 2016 Southland Conference Men’s Basketball Tournament will be held March 9-12, at the Merrell Center in Katy, Texas, and will feature an eight-team single-elimination format.
| First Team |
|
|
|
|
| Name |
Cl. |
Pos. |
School |
Hometown |
| Thomas Walkup |
Sr. |
G |
Stephen F. Austin |
Pasadena, Texas |
| Jalan West |
Sr. |
G |
Northwestern State |
Bossier City, La. |
| Zeek Woodley |
Jr. |
G |
Northwestern State |
Pelican, La. |
| Rashawn Thomas |
Jr. |
F |
A&M-Corpus Christi |
Oklahoma City, Okla. |
| Paul Baxter |
Sr. |
G |
Sam Houston State |
Austin, Texas |
| |
|
|
|
|
| Second Team |
|
|
|
|
| Name |
Cl. |
Pos. |
School |
Hometown |
| Ty Charles |
So. |
G |
Stephen F. Austin |
Arlington, Texas |
| Zay Jackson |
Sr. |
G |
Southeastern La. |
Hammond, La. |
| Craig McFerrin |
Sr. |
P |
McNeese State |
Baton Rouge, La. |
| Kyle Hittle |
Sr. |
F |
UIW |
New Braunfels, Texas |
| Anthony Odunsi |
Sr. |
G |
Houston Baptist |
Sugar Land, Texas |