Pack The House
 
Millsap Tabbed Louisiana Freshman of the Year


 

  
Updated Apr 8, 2004 09:45:15


Millsap Tabbed Louisiana Freshman of the Year

Louisiana Tech forward Paul Millsap was named the Louisiana Sports Writers Association's Freshman of the Year and a All-Louisiana first-team selection on Thursday.

Millsap, a 6-7, 225-pounder out of Louisiana's Grambling High School, captured the 2004 NCAA rebounding title and had earlier been named the Western Athletic Conference Freshman of the Year, a WAC All-Newcomer Team member, a second-team All-WAC selection and a second-team Rivals.com All-Freshman team pick.

The NCAA's No. 1 rebounder with 12.5 rebounds per game also led the Bulldogs in scoring with 15.6 points per game and topped the WAC in blocked shots with 1.73 per contest. Millsap also ranked NO. 15 in NCAA field goal percentage at 58.7 (175-of-298 attempts).

Millsap recorded 20 double-doubles on the season and scored 20 or more points in eight games. He poured in a season high of 27 points against Rice on Jan. 5 while pulling down a career-high 21 rebounds at Nevada on Jan. 8.

He is also Louisiana Tech's all-time leading freshman rebounder with 374 boards and third all-time freshman scorer with 467 points, ranking behind only Jackie Moreland and Karl Malone. Millsap is also the Bulldogs' all-time leader in freshman blocked shots with 52, ranking him No. 7 in Tech career blocked shots.

Joining Millsap on the LSWA's All-Louisiana first team were Player of the Year Andrew Wisniewski, a senior guard from Centenary, senior guard Amir Abdur-Rahim of Southeastern Louisiana, senior forward Paul Haynes from Grambling State and freshman forward Brandon Bass of LSU.

Second-team All-Louisiana choice Nate Lofton, a senior center at SLU, won the "Newcomer of the Year" award while his coach, Billy Kennedy, was an overwhelming pick as state "Coach of the Year."

Voting was done by a panel of media from throughout the state, along with sports information directors.

Joining Lofton on the second team were four guards -- Louisiana-Lafayette's Laurie Bridges, Grambling's Brion Rush, LSU-Shreveport's Frederico Payne and Northwestern State's Jermaine Wallace.

Third-team All-Louisiana selections were New Orleans guard Bo McCalebb, Southern forward Deon Saunders, LSU guard Darrell Mitchell and Louisiana-Lafayette's guard tandem of Brian Hamilton and Antoine Landry.

Wisniewski, a 6-3 Staten Island, N.Y., native, led the Gents in scoring and assists for the third straight season, this year sparking Centenary to a near miss of the Mid-Con league crown. He was in the Mid-Con's top 10 in scoring, field goal percentage (51.2 percent), assists (4.3 per game), free throw percentage (78.6), steals (1.6 pg), 3-point aim (41.8 percent) and production (2.4 pg), and assist/turnover ratio (plus
1.4).

Kennedy outpolled three strong candidates in the Coach of the Year voting. By steering SLU to a 20-9 record and a tri-championship in the Southland Conference, Kennedy led the Lions to their best record since 1972-73. The Lions were picked for sixth in the league race and Kennedy took SLC and National Association of Basketball Coaches District 8 "Coach of the Year" honors.



2003-04 All-Louisiana Collegiate Men's Basketball Team

FIRST TEAM
-- Andrew Wisniewski, Centenary, Senior, Guard, 6-1, Staten Island,
N.Y., 21.3 ppg, 4.3 assists pg
-- Amir Abdur-Rahim, Southeastern La., Senior, Guard, 6-3, Atlanta, Ga.,
15.1 ppg, 3.0 rpg
---Paul Millsap, Louisiana Tech, Freshman, Forward, 6-7, Grambling, 15.6
ppg, 12.5 rpg
-- Brandon Bass, LSU, Freshman, Forward, 6-8, Baton Rouge, 12.7 ppg, 7.3
rpg
-- Paul Haynes, Grambling, Senior, Forward, 6-8, Auburn Hills, Mich.,
17.6 ppg, 8.7 rpg

SECOND TEAM
-- Laurie Bridges, Louisiana-Lafayette, Guard, 6-4, New Orleans, 10.8
ppg, 5.6 rpg
-- Nate Lofton, Southeastern La., Senior, Center, 6-10, New Orleans,
13.2 ppg, 10.9 rpg
-- Brion Rush, Grambling, Senior, Guard, Sophomore, 6-2, Shreveport,
19.3 ppg, 4.8 rpg
-- Frederico Payne, LSU-Shreveport, Sophomore, Guard, 5-10, Dubach, 21.8
ppg, 2.7 steals pg
-- Jermaine Wallace, Northwestern State, Sophomore, Guard, 6-3, Heflin,
15.5 ppg, 5.0 rpg

THIRD TEAM
-- Bo McCalebb, UNO, Freshman, Guard, 6-0, New Orleans, 13.1 ppg, 3.5
rpg
-- Deon Saunders, Southern, Junior, Forward, 6-5, Washington, D.C, 17.6
ppg, 6.6 rpg
-- Darrel Mitchell, LSU, Sophomore, Guard, 5-11, St. Martinville, 11.9
ppg, 2.8 rpg
-- Brian Hamilton, Louisiana-Lafayette, Junior, Guard, 6-6, Missouri
City, Texas, 11.7 ppg, 7.2 rpg
-- Antoine Landry, Louisiana-Lafayette, Senior, Guard, 5-10, New
Orleans, 12.8 ppg, 2.5 rpg

HONORABLE MENTION
-- Brad Boyd, Louisiana-Lafayette; Willie DePron, Nicholls State; Roberto Ferriar, Southern-New Orleans; Michael Gardener, Southeastern La.; Antonio Hudson, LSU.

PLAYER OF THE YEAR
Andrew Wisniewski, Centenary

NEWCOMER OF THE YEAR
Nate Lofton, Southeastern Louisiana

FRESHMAN OF THE YEAR
Paul Millsap, Louisiana Tech

COACH OF THE YEAR
Billy Kennedy, Southeastern Louisiana