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ABILENE - Jaylen Franklin and the rest of ACU's freshman class brought life back to the ACU men's basketball program in 2015-16, and it didn't go unnoticed by the Southland Conference.
On Monday, the league office announced that Franklin has been named the Southland Conference Freshman of the Year by a vote of the league's head coaches and sports information directors. Franklin is the first Wildcat to earn an individual accolade from the Southland Conference sine 1968 when John Ray Godfrey was voted the league's Player of the Year.
On a team loaded with youth, Franklin proved himself to be the best freshman in the league, leading the Wildcats to eight conference wins, doubling their total from the 2014-15 season. He finished seventh in the league in scoring at 16.2 points per game - the top mark among freshmen in the league - and finished sixth in the league in steals per game (1.7 per game) and 14th in the league in field goal percentage (51.3 percent).
Franklin led the Wildcats in scoring in 16 of 30 games played this season and scored 20 points or more in eight games. He scored a career-high 29 points in a Jan. 19 home win over McNeese State, and then added 28 on Feb. 27 in an 87-84 home win over Houston Baptist.
Franklin was also named second team all-Southland Conference, the first Wildcat to earn all-Southland honors since Willie Calvert and Andrew Prince were selected second team all-conference and honorable mention, respectively, in 1972-73, ACU's final season in the league before leaving for the Southland Conference.
"We knew when we signed Jaylen that he was going to be special, and he had a great year for us," ACU head coach Joe Golding said. "But he's only scratched the surface of how good he can be, and I'm looking forward to seeing the progress he makes between his freshman and sophomore seasons. By the time he's finished here, he's got a chance to be one of our all-time greats."
Stephen F. Austin senior guard/forward Thomas Walkup has been named the 2015-16 Southland Conference Men's Basketball Player of the Year by a vote of the league's head coaches and sports information directors.
Among the league's other postseason award winners are Texas A&M-Corpus Christi junior forward Rashawn Thomas, who was named the defensive player of the year, Central Arkansas junior guard Derreck Brooks, who was tabbed as the newcomer of the year, and Stephen F. Austin mentor Brad Underwood, who was selected as the coach of the year.
Walkup helped lead the Lumberjacks to their fourth consecutive Southland regular-season championship and their sixth overall. The guard/forward from Pasadena, Texas (Deer Park H.S.), is averaging 17.3 points, 6.9 rebounds, 4.6 assists and 2.1 steals to pace SFA.
The Lumberjacks also took home their fourth consecutive coach of the year award and the third in a row for Underwood. In his third year in Nacogdoches, Underwood led the Lumberjacks to another perfect 18-0 record in league play and an overall 25-5 record to help SFA wins its fourth straight regular-season crown. Underwood now boasts a career record of 86-13, and an unprecedented 53-1 record in conference games.
Walkup and Thomas headline the all-conference teams as two of five players named to the first team. Northwestern State junior guard Zeek Woodley joins Walkup and Thomas on the first team along with Houston Baptist senior guard Anthony Odunsi and UCA sophomore guard Jordan Howard. Walkup is earning all-conference recognition for the third consecutive season while Thomas and Woodley are receiving the honor for the second time.
The second team is comprised of UIW senior forward Kyle Hittle, ACU's Franklin, SFA senior guard Demetrious Floyd and Sam Houston State junior forward/center Aurimas Majauskas and junior guard Dakarai Henderson.
The third-team choices are all first-time selections with Southeastern Louisiana senior guard Zay Jackson, McNeese State junior guard Jamaya Burr, SFA senior guard Glide Geffrard, A&M-Corpus Christi senior guard Hameed Ali and New Orleans junior guard Christavious Gill.
Three all-conference selections also appear on the league's five-member all-defensive team, including Thomas, Walkup and Ali. Nicholls junior center Liam Thomas and SFA senior guard Trey Pinkney also comprise the all-defensive team. Walkup is making his third consecutive appearance on the team.
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On Monday, the league office announced that Franklin has been named the Southland Conference Freshman of the Year by a vote of the league's head coaches and sports information directors. Franklin is the first Wildcat to earn an individual accolade from the Southland Conference sine 1968 when John Ray Godfrey was voted the league's Player of the Year.
On a team loaded with youth, Franklin proved himself to be the best freshman in the league, leading the Wildcats to eight conference wins, doubling their total from the 2014-15 season. He finished seventh in the league in scoring at 16.2 points per game - the top mark among freshmen in the league - and finished sixth in the league in steals per game (1.7 per game) and 14th in the league in field goal percentage (51.3 percent).
Franklin led the Wildcats in scoring in 16 of 30 games played this season and scored 20 points or more in eight games. He scored a career-high 29 points in a Jan. 19 home win over McNeese State, and then added 28 on Feb. 27 in an 87-84 home win over Houston Baptist.
Franklin was also named second team all-Southland Conference, the first Wildcat to earn all-Southland honors since Willie Calvert and Andrew Prince were selected second team all-conference and honorable mention, respectively, in 1972-73, ACU's final season in the league before leaving for the Southland Conference.
"We knew when we signed Jaylen that he was going to be special, and he had a great year for us," ACU head coach Joe Golding said. "But he's only scratched the surface of how good he can be, and I'm looking forward to seeing the progress he makes between his freshman and sophomore seasons. By the time he's finished here, he's got a chance to be one of our all-time greats."
Stephen F. Austin senior guard/forward Thomas Walkup has been named the 2015-16 Southland Conference Men's Basketball Player of the Year by a vote of the league's head coaches and sports information directors.
Among the league's other postseason award winners are Texas A&M-Corpus Christi junior forward Rashawn Thomas, who was named the defensive player of the year, Central Arkansas junior guard Derreck Brooks, who was tabbed as the newcomer of the year, and Stephen F. Austin mentor Brad Underwood, who was selected as the coach of the year.
Walkup helped lead the Lumberjacks to their fourth consecutive Southland regular-season championship and their sixth overall. The guard/forward from Pasadena, Texas (Deer Park H.S.), is averaging 17.3 points, 6.9 rebounds, 4.6 assists and 2.1 steals to pace SFA.
The Lumberjacks also took home their fourth consecutive coach of the year award and the third in a row for Underwood. In his third year in Nacogdoches, Underwood led the Lumberjacks to another perfect 18-0 record in league play and an overall 25-5 record to help SFA wins its fourth straight regular-season crown. Underwood now boasts a career record of 86-13, and an unprecedented 53-1 record in conference games.
Walkup and Thomas headline the all-conference teams as two of five players named to the first team. Northwestern State junior guard Zeek Woodley joins Walkup and Thomas on the first team along with Houston Baptist senior guard Anthony Odunsi and UCA sophomore guard Jordan Howard. Walkup is earning all-conference recognition for the third consecutive season while Thomas and Woodley are receiving the honor for the second time.
The second team is comprised of UIW senior forward Kyle Hittle, ACU's Franklin, SFA senior guard Demetrious Floyd and Sam Houston State junior forward/center Aurimas Majauskas and junior guard Dakarai Henderson.
The third-team choices are all first-time selections with Southeastern Louisiana senior guard Zay Jackson, McNeese State junior guard Jamaya Burr, SFA senior guard Glide Geffrard, A&M-Corpus Christi senior guard Hameed Ali and New Orleans junior guard Christavious Gill.
Three all-conference selections also appear on the league's five-member all-defensive team, including Thomas, Walkup and Ali. Nicholls junior center Liam Thomas and SFA senior guard Trey Pinkney also comprise the all-defensive team. Walkup is making his third consecutive appearance on the team.
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