SBC coaches choose UALR to win West
Posted on Tuesday, October 24, 2006
LAFAYETTE, La. — If the results of the coaches’ poll are telling, the Sun Belt Conference figures to be wide open this season.
Eight of the 13 teams received at least one first-place vote in a poll of conference coaches, which was released Monday at Sun Belt Media Days at the Cajundome.
UALR (3 first-place votes ) was picked to win the West Division and Western Kentucky (9 ) was picked to win the East Division. But New Orleans (5 ), North Texas (4 ) South Alabama (2 ), Middle Tennessee (1 ), Florida Atlantic (1 ) and Denver (1 ) all received at least one first-place vote.
“When you look at the first-place votes, it shows the parity,” UALR Coach Steve Shields said. “But there’s no hardware given out for preseason awards. We as a basketball team have to try to get better on a day-to-day basis and not put any stock in this.”
Voting was done via a system that rewards 7 points for a firstplace vote in the West Division and 6 points for a first-place vote in the East. UALR and Western Kentucky each had 73 points.
Behind UALR in the West Division is New Orleans and North Texas, both with 70 points, Arkansas State and Denver, both with 51 points, Louisiana-Lafayette (28 points ) and league newcomer Louisiana-Monroe (21 points ).
Trailing Western Kentucky in the East Division are South Alabama (60 ), Middle Tennessee (55 ), Troy (41 ), Florida International (23 ) and Florida Atlantic (21 ).
UALR and Arkansas State grabbed four of the 15 preseason All-Sun Belt spots.
UALR senior forward Rashad Jones-Jennings and Arkansas State junior Isaac Wells were named first-team all-conference.
Jones-Jennings is the nation’s leading returning rebounder (11. 3 per game ). He also averaged 12. 2 points per game.
“I’m really excited about where we’re at with Rashad right now,” Shields said. “He’s in the best shape of his life. He’s the hardest-working player I’ve coached from a discipline standpoint. He’s very selective as far as his diet and training. He’s the first guy at practice to dive on the floor after a loose ball.”
Wells is a 6-8 forward from Jackson, Miss., who averaged 14. 4 points last season. Despite his selection, his playing status remains unclear. Last week, Arkansas State Coach Dickey Nutt announced Wells had been suspended from weekday practices in order to focus on academics.
“We’re very proud that Isaac has been recognized as one of the better players in the league, but like I told him, these are all just predictions. They’re just going on what you did last year,” Nutt said. “This is a new year, a new season.”
UALR sophomore Lekheythan Malone and Arkansas State senior Yual Banks were named to the third team. Malone, the 2006 freshman of the year, averaged 9. 9 points. Banks led the Sun Belt Conference in three-point shooting at 45. 9 percent.
Western Kentucky junior guard Courtney Lee was chosen the preseason player of the year.
Surprisingly absent from any of the three teams were New Orleans guards Bo McCalebb, Jamie McNeilly and James Parlow. Mc-Calebb was most surprising after being named first team All-Sun Belt in the preseason the past two seasons. He missed most of last season with injuries and was granted a medical hardship redshirt year by the NCAA.
Joining Jones-Jennings, Wells and Lee on the first team were Denver’s DaShawn Walker and North Texas’ Kendrick Davis, a transfer from the University of Arkansas.
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