Senior Eddie Basden was named C-USA's Defensive Player of the Year for the second straight season. |
|
|
Basden Named C-USA Defensive Player of the Year For Second Straight Season
March 8, 2005
Memphis, Tenn. - Charlotte senior swingman Eddie Basden was chosen as the Conference USA Defensive Player of the Year for the second-consecutive season, the league office announced on Tuesday. UAB senior guard Ronell Taylor was tabbed as the conference's Sixth Player of the Year, while Memphis guard Darius Washington Jr. collected C-USA Freshman of the Year and All-Freshman team honors.
Washington Jr. is joined on the all-freshman unit by teammate Joey Dorsey, Louisville forward Juan Palacios, Tulane guard Taylor Rochestie and East Carolina forward Tom Hammonds, IV.
Basden is the first league player to earn back-to-back Defensive Player of the Year honors since former Cincinnati standout Kenyon Martin received the accolade three straight seasons from 1998-2000. The senior holds the C-USA record for career steals with 260 and his 89 thefts this season are the third most in league history. Basden also led the 49ers in rebounds with 8.4 rpg. Basden's 260 career steals are also a new Charlotte record as are his 89 thefts this season. Basden, who ranks third in the nation in steals per game also holds a share of the 49ers single-game steals record, with seven in a game twice in his career. Basden was named the National Defensive Player of the Year by ESPN College Basketball Analyst Jay Bilas.
Taylor becomes the first UAB player to earn an individual award since Willie Mitchell secured the same honor following the 1998-99 season. The senior was third on the Blazers in scoring with a 12.3 ppg average. Taylor shot 47.5 percent from the field and averaged more than 20 minutes played per contest.
Washington Jr. is the third Memphis Tiger to earn the Freshman of the Year honor in the last four seasons. The point guard led all league freshman with a 15.6 ppg average and also dished out 3.4 assists per game. The Orlando, Fla., native was named to the Rivals.com National Freshman All-America first team earlier this week and also earned Dick Vitale's "Diaper Dandy of the Week" honor last month.
Washington Jr. and Dorsey are the first teammates to earn all-freshman honors in the same season since 2005 All-Conference selections Taquan Dean and Francisco Garcia of Louisville were named to the 2003 squad. Dorsey led all freshmen with a 6.7 rebound-per-game average, while Palacios was second with a 6.2 average. Rochestie, who started 23 games and averaged more than 10 ppg, is the first Green Wave player to be named all-freshman since Byron Mouton (1998). Rochestie also was the top freshman playmaker, finishing the regular season with a league-best 3.56 assists per game. Hammonds netted an average eight points per game for the Pirates and joined current ECU teammates Mike Cook (2004) and Moussa Badiane (2002) to have earned the All-Freshman distinction.
2004-05 CONFERENCE USA DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE YEAR
Eddie Basden, Charlotte, G/F, 6-5, 215, Sr., Washington D.C./Eleanor Roosevelt
2004-05 CONFERENCE USA SIXTH PLAYER OF THE YEAR
Ronell Taylor, UAB, G, 6-5, 180, Sr., Montgomery, Ala./Okaloosa-Walton
2004-05 CONFERENCE USA FRESHMAN OF THE YEAR
Darius Washington, Jr., Memphis, G, 6-2, 185, Fr., Orlando, Fla./Edgewater
2004-05 CONFERENCE USA ALL-FRESHMAN TEAM
Joey Dorsey, Memphis, F, 6-9, 260, Baltimore, Md./Laurinburg Prep
Tom Hammonds, IV, East Carolina, G, 6-4, 200, Crestview, Fla./Montrose Christian
Juan Palacios, Louisville, F, 6-8, 245, Medellin, Columbia/Our Savior New American
Taylor Rochestie, Tulane, G, 6-1, 175, Santa Barbara, Calif./Santa Barbara
Darius Washington, Jr., Memphis, G, 6-2, 185, Fr., Orlando, Fla./Edgewater
|
|
 |
