New Orleans Erik Thomas Wins Southland Player of the Year Honors
Southland Conference
FRISCO, Texas – New Orleans’ forward Erik Thomas is the Southland Conference Player of the Year, as voted on by league head coaches and sports information directors. Thomas, who helped New Orleans win its first regular-season championship, headlines 15 players named to the three all-conference teams. The conference announced the 2016-17 Southland All-Conference teams, as well as five individual awards Monday.
Student-athletes from 11 of the 13 member schools are represented. Houston Baptist has three players – Colter Lasher, Josh Ibarra, and Reveal Chukwujewku – named all-conference. Regular season runner-up Texas A&M-Corpus Christi has two players named to the first team – forward Rashawn Thomas, who led the league in scoring and rebounding, and Ehab Amin, who led the NCAA in steals per game at 3.38.
Three players are receiving all-conference recognition in consecutive years: Texas A&M-Corpus Christi’s Rashawn Thomas is now a three-time selection, while Central Arkansas’ guard Jordan Howard and Sam Houston’s Aurimas Majauskas are both two-time honorees.
Twelve of 15 Southland All-Conference players will participate with their teams in the Southland Conference Tournament, set to tip-off Wednesday afternoon in Katy, Texas. For more information on the tournament, please visit
2017 Tournament Central.
The Southland Conference also announced four other individual honors for the 2016-17 season:
Nicholls’ Liam Thomas is the Defensive Player of the Year. The Colonels’ center led the nation in blocks with 130, as well as blocks per game, averaging 4.19 rejections per contest.
Abilene Christian freshman Jalone Friday, who led all Southland freshman in scoring at 13.7 points per game, and finished third among all players in three-point field goal percentage at .456, is the Freshman of the Year. Friday was also named to the all-conference third team.
UIW’s Jalin Hart, a second-team all-conference selection, claims Newcomer of the Year honors. Hart, who played previously at New Mexico Junior College, was third in the conference in assists average at 4.7 per game.
New Orleans’ Mark Slessinger is Coach of the Year. Slessinger, in his sixth year at the helm of the Privateers, led New Orleans to its first Southland crown and first basketball title in two decades. His award snaps a Stephen F. Austin four-year run of receiving Coach of the Year honors.
Erik Thomas, a Wesley Chapel, Fla. (Wesley Chapel High School) product, led the league in field goal percentage (.603), was second in scoring (19.7 per game), and fifth in rebounding (7.9 per game). Thomas’ .603 field goal percentage places him 19
th nationally.
2016-17 All-Southland Conference Men’s Basketball Teams
| First Team |
Institution |
Pos. |
Class |
Hometown |
| Erik Thomas |
New Orleans |
F |
Sr. |
Wesley, Chapel, Fla. |
| Rashawn Thomas3 |
Texas A&M-CC |
F |
Sr. |
Oklahoma City, Okla. |
| Jordan Howard 2 |
Central Arkansas |
G |
Jr. |
Chandler, Ariz. |
| Colton Weisbrod |
Lamar |
F |
Jr. |
Nederland, Texas |
| Ehab Amin |
Texas A&M-CC |
G |
Jr. |
Alexandria, Egypt |
|
|
|
|
|
| Second Team |
Institution |
Pos. |
Class |
Hometown |
| TJ Holyfield |
Stephen F. Austin |
F |
So. |
Albuquerque, N.M. |
| Jalin Hart |
UIW |
G |
Jr. |
Houston, Texas |
| Colter Lasher |
Houston Baptist |
F |
Sr. |
Anchorage, Alaska |
| Josh Ibarra |
Houston Baptist |
C |
Jr. |
Angleton, Texas |
| Reveal Chukwujekwu |
Houston Baptist |
G/F |
Sr. |
Houston, Texas |
|
|
|
|
|
| Third Team |
Institution |
Pos. |
Class |
Hometown |
| Marlain Veal |
Southeastern La. |
G |
So. |
Gretna, La. |
| Liam Thomas |
Nicholls |
C |
Sr. |
Sydney, Australia |
| Aurimas Majauskas 2 |
Sam Houston State |
F/C |
Sr. |
Marijampole, Lithuania |
| John Dewey III |
Sam Houston State |
G |
So. |
Bronx, N.Y. |
| Jalone Friday |
Abilene Christian |
C |
Fr. |
Oklahoma City, Okla.
|
2 indicates two-time all-conference selection
3 indicates three-time all-conference selection
Honorable Mention: Derreck Brooks, Central Arkansas; Ja’Dante’ Frye, Nicholls; Christavious Gill, New Orleans; Simi Socks, UIW; Sabri Thompson, Northwestern State
| All-Defensive Team |
Institution |
Pos. |
Class |
Hometown |
| Liam Thomas 2 |
Nicholls |
C |
Sr. |
Sydney, Australia |
| Ehab Amin |
Texas A&M-CC |
G |
Jr. |
Alexandria, Egypt |
| Rashawn Thomas2 |
Texas A&M-CC |
F |
Sr. |
Oklahoma City, Okla. |
| Paul Baxter |
Sam Houston State |
G |
Sr. |
Austin, Texas |
| Travin Thibodeaux |
New Orleans |
F |
Jr. |
Plaquemine, La.
|
2 indicates three-time all-defensive team selection
Player of the Year: Erik Thomas, New Orleans
Defensive Player of the Year: Liam Thomas, Nicholls
Freshman of the Year: Jalone Friday, Abilene Christian
Newcomer of the Year: Jalin Hart, UIW
Coach of the Year: Mark Slessinger, New Orleans