Shawn Long Invited To Reese’s All-Star Game

Shawn Long's consistently monstrous play for the Ragin' Cajuns earned him an invite to the Reese's All-Star Game this March, along with the nation's top seniors.

On the glass and in the paint (18.7 ppg, 12.6 rpg), Long continues to prove his dominance in his final year playing for Bob Marlin. He is the only player in university (and Sun Belt) history to reach 2,000 points and 1,200 rebounds. He has a chance to set the Sun Belt career rebound record where nobody else can touch it.

Cajun Nation wasn't sure if Long was leaving for the NBA last season, but his return has been nothing but golden for everybody involved. His draft stock is rising, and his coach was proud to announce his invitation to the Reese's All-Star Game last night.

"He's worth the price of admission," Marlin said in his weekly coach's show. He also said, "The records and milestones he's accomplished are pretty amazing.

Last year, seniors like Notre Dame's Pat Connaughton and Oklahoma State's Le'Bryan Nash took their talents to the Reese's All-Star Game last year, but it was a player from a "smaller" conference that stole the show. Nash had to take home co-Player of the Game honors with UC Davis' Corey Hawkins, who scored 20 points and shot the lights out.

The event will take place to coincide with the Final Four this year, so the extra postseason exposure definitely can't hurt Long.

With all the personal accolades and draft hype surrounding Long, it would be easy to develop a slight ego complex. Marlin assures us all he is staying grounded and is excelling as a leader this season. It seems like he is doing everything right to disprove any questions scouts could have on their evaluations, but the wins are more important right now.

"He's an influence on our team, and everybody looks up to him," Marlin said.

The Cajuns hope to be playing as long as possible into the month of March, so we will see if Long takes the folks at Reese's up on their invite or whether he will need to recharge his legs. An All-Star Game is nice, but Long would prefer a Sun Belt Championship and a shot at the NCAA Tournament for his senior year.