Dawkins, Sanders Named First Team All-Southland Conference

[KFDM COOP]

Dawkins, Sanders Named First Team All-Southland Conference

'KD' follows Sanders with Newcomer of the Year award

March 11, 2008

FRISCO, Texas - The Lamar men's basketball team was represented on the 2008 All-Southland Conference First Team by two players while having another garner Honorable Mention honors as released by the league office on Tuesday.

Junior transfer Kenny Dawkins and senior Lamar Sanders were each named to the first team and Dawkins was named the league's Newcomer of the Year. Additionally, senior Darren Hopkins was named to the Honorable Mention list after appearing on at least 25 percent of the ballots.

Dawkins leads the team and ranks No. 7 in the SLC in scoring at 14.4 per game. He is the fifth Cardinal to win the honor in school history and the second-consecutive, as Sanders was selected last year. In addition to Sanders, Dawkins joins B.B. Davis in 1978, Jerry Everett in 1984 and James Gulley in 1985 as the other Cardinals to win the honor. Dawkins was the newcomer on the first team.

Sanders averaged 11.6 points and 7.0 rebounds per game, as he earned first-team honors, after earning second-team accolades last year. He has posted three double-doubles and scored in double-figures 20 times this season. He is just the 18th player in Lamar history to be named all-conference at least two times in their career.

Hopkins was named Honorable mention for the second-consecutive season after averaging 11.2 ppg overall and 13.8 ppg in conference play. He also has started 19 games with 13 coming in SLC play and ranks 11th in the conference in scoring in league games.

This marks just the seventh time in school history for Lamar to have two players on the first team and the first time since 1984.

Of the 15 players selected to All-SLC teams, 12 were from different schools, as Lamar, Stephen F. Austin and UT Arlington each placed two players on the three teams.

 

Stephen F. Austin's Josh Alexander and Danny Kaspar were named the Player and Coach of the Year, respectively. UTSA's Devin Gibson was named the Freshman of the Year.

Lamar opens play in the 2008 Southland Conference Tournament on Thursday against UTA at Noon CT. The entire tournament will be played at the Merrell Center in Katy, Texas with the championship being televised by ESPN 2 on Sunday at Noon.

[lamarproud]

Congratulations to 2 guys that  rank in my all time favorite Lamar players.

[AJ25]

well deserved!

[Guest abovetherim]

Well, deserved honors. I'll miss watching "Boo" Sanders next year and KD is just incredible. I personally think D-Hop deserved better than honorable mention. Lamar would not have finished 1st in the eastern division without him stepping up his play.

[AJ25]

this might be a stupid question, but has Lamar ever had a player go to the NBA?

[Guest abovetherim]

Not a stupid question but yes they have including a 1st round draft pick in Tom Sewell.

[Guest coachacola]

I think only 3 players:

Caldwell, Adrian 1989-1997

Kea, Clarence 1980-1981

Sewell, Tom 1984-1984

This site has all sorts of info: http://www.databasesports.com/

[Guest abovetherim]

Probably correct but several others have been drafted. Pat Foster recently stated B.B. Davis was the best post he ever coached and he coached some good ones at UH. Alvin Brooks is now at Kentucky as an assistant. He was drafted. Then of course Mike Olliver was drafted in the 2nd round. Kenneth Perkins played about 12 years overseas.

So, Coachacola is probably correct in who actually played in a NBA game but there are several who have been drafted by a NBA team. Last one was a guy name Greg Anderson.

I can't tell you how many played overseas and even for the Globetrotters.

[bullets13]

congrats!