Long, Wright Named to All-Sun Belt Team

The Louisiana Ragin' Cajuns are one win away from another 20-win season.  And, their two on the court leaders have been honored on the Sun Belt All Conference team released today after a vote of coaches and select media members.

Shawn Long has been named to the team for the third straight year and is on the first team for the second straight season.  and sophomore Jay Wright, the teams point guard and best defender, was named to the third team.

R. J. Hunter of Georgia State repeated as Player of the Year, while Georgia Southern's Jelani Hewitt was named Defensive Player of the Year.  Troy's Wesley Person was honored as the league's top freshman, and Keith Richard, who led a resurgence of the UL Monroe program, was named the league's Coach of the Year.

Long averaged 17.0 points, good for fourth in the league and led the Sun Belt in rebounding with a 10.3 mark.  In league play, the junior from Morgan City was even better, averaging 18 points and 11.2 rebounds.  Wright, in his rookie season, was at his best in league games, averaging 10.3 points and finishing third in the league in assists and 3-pt field goal percentage in those 20 contests.

In winning his second straight Player of the Year award, Hunter was second in the league in scoring, assists and steals.  He led the league in minutes played and in free throw percentage.  He shot over 90% from the line in league games.  Hewitt was third in the league in scoring and led the league in steals.  Person averaged 14.2 ppg game, good for ninth in the league.  He was also ninth in free throw percentage, seventh in three point percentage and third in three point baskets per game.

The Coach of the Year Award is the second for Richard, who won the award in 1999 when he was the head coach at Louisiana Tech.  The Warhawks doubled their win total for the second straight year.

Joining Hunter, Long and Hewitt on the first team were Georgia State's Ryan Harrow and ULM's Tylor Ongwae.

The fourth seeded Ragin' Cajuns will play their first game in the conference tournament Friday against the winner of the game between #5 UT Arlington and #8 Texas State.

Here is the entire all-conference team courtesy of the Sun Belt conference.

Sun Belt First Team All-Conference
Jelani Hewitt (Georgia Southern, Sr., Guard)
Ryan Harrow (Georgia State, R-Sr., Guard)
R.J. Hunter (Georgia State, Jr., Guard)
Shawn Long (UL Lafayette, Jr., Forward)
Tylor Ongwae (UL Monroe, Sr., Forward)

Second Team All-Conference
Frank Eaves (Appalachian State, Jr., Guard)
Anthony Livingston (Arkansas State, So., Forward)
Ken Williams (South Alabama, So., Guard)
Lonnie McClanahan (UT Arlington, Sr., Guard)
Emani Gant (Texas State, Jr., Forward)

Third Team All-Sun Belt Conference
Josh Hagins (UALR, Jr., Guard)
Trent Wiedeman (Georgia Southern, Sr., Center)
Jay Wright (UL Lafayette, So., Guard)
Majok Deng (UL Monroe, Jr., Forward)
Wesley Person (Troy, Fr., Guard)

Player of the Year
R.J. Hunter (Georgia State, Jr., Guard)

Defensive Player of the Year
Jelani Hewitt (Georgia Southern, Sr., Guard)

Freshman of the Year
Wesley Person (Troy, Fr., Guard)

Joe Gottfried Coach of the Year
Keith Richard (UL Monroe, 5th Season)