PLANO, Texas - Heading into postseason play, Southeastern Louisiana University's Ricky Woods ranks in the top five among league leaders in four of the five major statistical categories. The senior forward from New Orleans, La., has parlayed the averages into SLC Player of the Year accolades as voted on by the league's head coaches and sports information directors and a media representative from each university.
Woods, who recorded the first-ever triple double in school history on Friday, helped the Lions to a third-place showing in the final regular-season standings and has Southeastern in line to host a first round game in the O'Reilly Auto Parts/SLC Tournament which begins Tuesday. The SLC's 2005 Newcomer of the Year, Woods put the Lions on his back the second half of the conference campaign. Under first-year head coach Jim Yarbrough, SLU started league play 2-5 before winning eight of its last nine SLC games to go 10-6 in conference and is 16-11 overall.
Woods, with 18 double-doubles on the season, ranks third in scoring at 17.9 points per game and leads the league in rebounding with 11.0 per contest. The lone Southland player averaging a double-double on the year, Woods is third in blocked shots per game (1.7) and fifth in steals with 2.1. Woods also ranks 12th in field-goal percentage at 48.7 percent aim on the season.
"This is such a tremendous honor for a great young man," Yarbrough said. "His performance this season for us has been nothing short of extraordinary. He has become the complete basketball player that we expected he would at the beginning of the season and we're happy that he will be able to play another game in front of our fans."
The 2006 All-Southland first team is made up of players from five different universities while the honorees occupying the 10 spots of the first and second teams are all seniors. Two seniors and three juniors make up the third team.
Joining Woods on the first team is Northwestern State's Clifton Lee, Lamar's Alan Daniels, Sam Houston State's Chris Jordan and McNeese State's J.T. Williams. Daniels and Woods are now two-time picks after landing on the first team in 2005 as well.
Lee helped Northwestern State to its second SLC regular-season title in as many years and has the Demons as the top seed in the postseason tournament. The Demons finished the regular season 15-1 in SLC play and are 22-7 overall and have earned the right to host throughout the postseason.
Playing on a team which utilizes a balanced attack, Lee, a forward from Boyce, La., ranks ninth in the SLC with 14.0 points per game. He is seventh in rebounding at 6.3 and seventh in field goal percentage at 52.6.
Daniels is about to lock up his second consecutive scoring title as he enters the postseason with a 23.1 average. The Tulsa, Okla., product ranks second in steals with 2.4, sixth in rebounding at 6.7 and 12th in assists with 3.1. Daniels leads Texas-San Antonio's Andre Owens, a second-team performer, and Woods, who are tied for second in scoring at 17.9 ppg.
Jordan helped SHSU to a second-place finish this year by ranking sixth in scoring at 14.7 points. Many of his points can be attributed to his accuracy from deep as he ranks third in 3-point shooting with 46.2 percent aim.
McNeese State's J.T. Williams has the Cowboys in the postseason by ranking fifth in scoring at 16.0 an outing. He is also in the top 10 in steals with 1.7 per game to tie him for the 10th spot. He is 16th with 5.6 rebounds per game, 10th in 3-point percentage at 40.3 and 12th in blocked shots at 0.8.
SHSU's Jejuan Plair has been voted the Newcomer of the Year as he leads the league in assists with 5.5 per game and is 18th in scoring at 11.6. The 6-1 guard transferred to SHSU from McClennan (Texas) Community College and becomes the second Bearkat to win the award in five years after Donald Cole was named in 2002. Plair is on his way to becoming the seventh Bearkat in the last nine years to lead the league in assists.
Freshman of the Year accolades go to Stephen F. Austin's Josh Alexander as he is the top-ranked rookie with 14.5 points to place him seventh in the scoring column. The Shreveport, La., native is ninth in rebounding with 6.2 despite playing as a 6-4 guard.
Northwestern State's Mike McConathy has been voted Coach of the Year for the second time in as many seasons. After not winning an SLC regular-season title in the school's first 17 years in the league, McConathy, who is in his seventh year at Northwestern, has led the Demons to back-to-back crowns.
2006 ALL-SOUTHLAND CONFERENCE MEN'S BASKETBALL
First-Team
Ricky Woods, Southeastern Louisiana, F, Sr., 6-6, New Orleans, La.
Clifton Lee, Northwestern State, F, Sr., 6-7, Boyce, La.
Alan Daniels, Lamar, F, Sr., 6-6, Tulsa, Okla.
Chris Jordan, Sam Houston State, G, Sr., 6-4, Hitchcock, Texas
J. T. Williams, McNeese State, F, Sr., 6-5, Portageville, Mo.
Second-Team
Andre Owens, Texas-San Antonio, G, Sr., 6-4, Irving, Texas
Steven Thomas, Texas-Arlington, F, Sr., 6-5, Fort Worth, Texas
Marcus Clark, Stephen F. Austin, G, Sr., 5-10, Marshall, Texas
Tyronn Mitchell, Northwestern State, G, Sr., 6-1, New Iberia, La.
Jarrett Howell, Texas-Arlington, G, Sr., 5-11, Arlington, Texas
Third-Team
Stefan Blaszczynski, Nicholls State, G, Jr., 6-5, Sydney, Australia
Jejuan Plair, Sam Houston State, G, Jr., 6-1, Killeen, Texas
Jermaine Wallace, Northwestern State, G, Sr., 6-3, Heflin, La.
Dwight Boatner, McNeese State, G, Jr., 6-1, Lake Charles, La.
Thomas Fairley, Lamar, F/C, Sr., 6-9, Long Beach, Miss.
HONORABLE MENTION: Josh Alexander, SFA; Byron Allen, NWLa.; Charles Dotson, TXST; Tony Hooper, ULM; Ryan Bright, SHSU; Matthew Barrow, LU; Lance Brasher, ULM; Quentin Gonzales, McN; John Ford, McN.
PLAYER OF THE YEAR: Ricky Woods, Southeastern Louisiana
NEWCOMER OF THE YEAR: Jejuan Plair, Sam Houston State
FRESHMAN OF THE YEAR: Josh Alexander, Stephen F. Austin
COACH OF THE YEAR: Mike McConathy, Northwestern State
