University of Louisiana at Lafayette Athletics
Wade Named Newcomer of the Year, Greene Defensive Player of the Year
3/2/2005 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
LAFAYETTE
– Junior guard Tiras Wade - a transfer from East
Tennessee State - was named to the All-Sun Belt First Team
and Newcomer of the Year, as announced Wednesday by the
conference office.
Wade was second in the Sun Belt in scoring with 19.7 points per game. Wade's 531 points through 27 games this season is the most by a Cajuns men's basketball player since Michael Allen in 1993-94 (682 points, 22.7 ppg).
Wade has
scored in double figures in all 27 games and reached 20-plus
points 14 times including a career-best 37 at N.C. State on
Dec. 15, 2004 - an RBC Center record and the most by a Sun
Belt player this season in regulation against an NCAA
Division I opponent. He is tops on the team with 182 field
goals made and second with 162 rebounds
“All our guys on the All-Sun Belt team deserve this honor,” men's basketball head coach Robert Lee said. “Tiras Wade proved all season long that he was one of the best players in the conference.”
Joining Wade on the All-Sun Belt squad are second teamers Orien Greene and Brian Hamilton. Greene, the Sun Belt Defensive Player of the Year, was fifth in the conference in assists (4.14 apg) and first in steals (2.67 spg).
“Brian Hamilton is the model of consistency and he's everything
he's gotten since he's been here. Orien Greene is a very
good defensive player
and I think
he is a complete basketball
player
with an uncanny ability on the defensive end.”
The player who is without a doubt the Ragin' Cajuns' team MVP, Hamilton leads the Ragin' Cajuns in rebounds (204), blocks (35) and steals (67) all while averaging 13.7 points per game. Hamilton ended the regular season scoring double figures in points in the final 19 games, including all 15 Sun Belt Conference games.
Louisiana-Lafayette's men's basketball team will open the 2005 Aeropostale Sun Belt Conference Tournament against the winner of Middle Tennessee and New Mexico State on Sunday at 9 p.m. The game will be televised live in the Lafayette viewing area on Cox Sports TV (Channel 27).
All-Sun
Belt Men's Basketball Team
First Team
Ivan Almonte, F,
Florida
International
Bo McCalebb, G,
New Orleans
Yemi
Nicholson, C,
Denver
Tiras Wade,
G, Louisiana-Lafayette
Anthony
Winchester, G,
Western Kentucky
Second Team
Brandon Freeman, G, Arkansas-Little Rock
Orien Greene, G, Louisiana-Lafayette
Brian Hamilton, G, Louisiana-Lafayette
Leonard
Hopkins, G, North Texas
Dewarick Spencer, G,
Arkansas
State
Third Team
Rodney Billups, G,
Denver
Michael Cuffee, G/F, Middle
Tennessee
Mike
Dean, G, Middle
Tennessee
Mario Jointer, G, South Alabama
J.J. Montgomery, G,
Arkansas
State
Player of
the Year:
Yemi Nicholson, Denver
Defensive
Player of the Year:
Orien Greene,
Louisiana-Lafayette
Newcomer of the Year: Tiras Wade, Louisiana-Lafayette
Freshman of the Year:
Courtney Lee, Western Kentucky
Coach of the Year:
Terry Carroll, Denver
-Ragin' Cajuns-
