Troy University Athletics
Maestri, Trio of Trojans Honored by SBC
3/2/2009 6:00:00 AM | Basketball (M)
NEW ORLEANS ? Don Maestri has been named the 2009 Sun Belt Coach of the Year, while juniors Brandon Hazzard, Richard Delk and Michael Vogler were each named All-Conference players by a vote of league coaches and media as announced by the Sun Belt office on Tuesday.
The award is the seventh for Maestri in his 27 seasons as the helm of the Trojans, but his first in the Sun Belt Conference. Troy has been a member of the Sun Belt Conference since the 2005-06 season. Maestri has won coach of the year awards in five different conferences, tying him with West Virginia's Bob Huggins for the most among active coaches. Maestri led the Trojans to their first above .500 record since the 2003-04 season with a 19-11 finish and their first above .500 finish in the Sun Belt with a 14-4 record. For their efforts, the Trojans earned a bye through the first round of the league tournament.
“A coach of the year award is totally different than and all-conference award. I compare it to if a player hit .600 in baseball and then received an award it was based on his individual performance. That is what all-conference awards are based upon, individual performances. The coach of the year award is a group award. To get it you have to have a successful season and that includes the coaches, players, both our managers ? Christian Laing and Demarcus Weems, our athletic trainer ? Alyson Steed, Barry McKnight ? our broadcaster and our SID ? Taylor Bryan, because everyone worked hard all season and they all fit into the chemistry we had as a group. All of those people are working hard together over the course of a season. When they gel, special things happen. It is truly an honor for the whole group, not just the head coach,” Maestri said.
The Trojans and South Alabama had three players named to all-conference teams, Western Kentucky had a pair of players on the teams.
Hazzard was named to the first team after averaging 18.3 points per game in conference play and leading Troy to a 14-3 record in those games. He also shot a team-best 45 percent from behind the 3-point arc for the season. Hazzard was named the league's Player of the Week three consecutive weeks from February 2-18.
“Brandon [Hazzard] is very deserving of being on the first team. He is the only player in the history of our league that was formed in 1976 to be player of the week for three straight weeks. That says a lot about the season he had individually,” Maestri said.
Delk, a first-year player at Troy, was named the Sun Belt's second team and was also honored as the league's Newcomer of the Year. Delk scored 14 ppg with five rebounds and 2.5 assists. He has started every game this season for Troy. His award marks just the second time a Troy player has won an individual award in the SBC. Former Trojan Sammy Sharp was named the league's Defensive Player of the Year in 2007.
“I'm very happy for Richard Delk not only because he made the second team and was the Newcomer of the Year, but because he made a big decision to come to Troy when he left Mississippi State. I am happy that decision paid off into an individual award for him,” Maestri said.
Vogler rounded out the Trojans' awards with a third team honor. He leads the Sun Belt in both assists (161) and steals (57). He also averaged a career-best 10.2 ppg. Vogler also ranks on a pair of Troy's single-season record lists. His 161 assists this season are good enough for fourth all-time, while his 57 steals are seventh. He ranks sixth at Troy in the assists category for a career with 276.
“Mike [Vogler] made a commitment after last season to be in the best possible paying shape for his junior year. He prepared himself for this season. He is really responsible for his season, but it started for him last spring and summer with his preparation. It really paid off for him,” Maestri said.
The trio of all-conference players joins Bobby Dixon (first team, 2006) and O'Darien Bassett (second team, 2008) as Troy's All-SBC honorees since joining the league.
Maestri pins the success of the individual players on the group of juniors together, but also the entire team and their commitment to one another.
“As a group those three guys have very small egos, there are no prima donnas ? Everyone is a team player. The selflessness of this basketball team also contributed to the personal successes of our three guys having such good seasons. Our entire team was also responsible for our team having such a successful season. The team truly lost themselves in the games and enjoyed the true spirit of competition,” he said.
The Trojans have a bye through the first round of the conference tournament, but will face the winner of the No. 6 seed/No. 11 seed match-up between South Alabama and New Orleans on Sunday at 9 pm in Hot Springs, Arkansas.
-------------------------
2008-09 Sun Belt Conference Post Season Awards
FIRST TEAM
Shane Edwards, UALR
Nate Rohnert, Denver
Desmond Yates, Middle Tennessee
Brandon Hazzard, Troy
Orlando Mendez-Valdez, WKU
SECOND TEAM
Paul Graham III, Florida Atlantic
Domonic Tilford, South Alabama
Brandon Davis, South Alabama
Richard Delk, Troy
AJ Slaughter, WKU
THIRD TEAM
Freddy Asprilla, FIU
Kyndall Dykes, New Orleans
Eric Tramiel, North Texas
DeAndre Coleman, South Alabama
Michael Vogler, Troy
PLAYER OF THE YEAR ? Orlando Mendez-Valdez, WKU
FRESHMAN OF THE YEAR ? Freddy Asprilla, FIU
NEWCOMER OF THE YEAR ? Richard Delk, Troy
DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE YEAR ? John Fowler, UALR
COACH OF THE YEAR ? Don Maestri, Troy
The award is the seventh for Maestri in his 27 seasons as the helm of the Trojans, but his first in the Sun Belt Conference. Troy has been a member of the Sun Belt Conference since the 2005-06 season. Maestri has won coach of the year awards in five different conferences, tying him with West Virginia's Bob Huggins for the most among active coaches. Maestri led the Trojans to their first above .500 record since the 2003-04 season with a 19-11 finish and their first above .500 finish in the Sun Belt with a 14-4 record. For their efforts, the Trojans earned a bye through the first round of the league tournament.
“A coach of the year award is totally different than and all-conference award. I compare it to if a player hit .600 in baseball and then received an award it was based on his individual performance. That is what all-conference awards are based upon, individual performances. The coach of the year award is a group award. To get it you have to have a successful season and that includes the coaches, players, both our managers ? Christian Laing and Demarcus Weems, our athletic trainer ? Alyson Steed, Barry McKnight ? our broadcaster and our SID ? Taylor Bryan, because everyone worked hard all season and they all fit into the chemistry we had as a group. All of those people are working hard together over the course of a season. When they gel, special things happen. It is truly an honor for the whole group, not just the head coach,” Maestri said.
The Trojans and South Alabama had three players named to all-conference teams, Western Kentucky had a pair of players on the teams.
Hazzard was named to the first team after averaging 18.3 points per game in conference play and leading Troy to a 14-3 record in those games. He also shot a team-best 45 percent from behind the 3-point arc for the season. Hazzard was named the league's Player of the Week three consecutive weeks from February 2-18.
“Brandon [Hazzard] is very deserving of being on the first team. He is the only player in the history of our league that was formed in 1976 to be player of the week for three straight weeks. That says a lot about the season he had individually,” Maestri said.
Delk, a first-year player at Troy, was named the Sun Belt's second team and was also honored as the league's Newcomer of the Year. Delk scored 14 ppg with five rebounds and 2.5 assists. He has started every game this season for Troy. His award marks just the second time a Troy player has won an individual award in the SBC. Former Trojan Sammy Sharp was named the league's Defensive Player of the Year in 2007.
“I'm very happy for Richard Delk not only because he made the second team and was the Newcomer of the Year, but because he made a big decision to come to Troy when he left Mississippi State. I am happy that decision paid off into an individual award for him,” Maestri said.
Vogler rounded out the Trojans' awards with a third team honor. He leads the Sun Belt in both assists (161) and steals (57). He also averaged a career-best 10.2 ppg. Vogler also ranks on a pair of Troy's single-season record lists. His 161 assists this season are good enough for fourth all-time, while his 57 steals are seventh. He ranks sixth at Troy in the assists category for a career with 276.
“Mike [Vogler] made a commitment after last season to be in the best possible paying shape for his junior year. He prepared himself for this season. He is really responsible for his season, but it started for him last spring and summer with his preparation. It really paid off for him,” Maestri said.
The trio of all-conference players joins Bobby Dixon (first team, 2006) and O'Darien Bassett (second team, 2008) as Troy's All-SBC honorees since joining the league.
Maestri pins the success of the individual players on the group of juniors together, but also the entire team and their commitment to one another.
“As a group those three guys have very small egos, there are no prima donnas ? Everyone is a team player. The selflessness of this basketball team also contributed to the personal successes of our three guys having such good seasons. Our entire team was also responsible for our team having such a successful season. The team truly lost themselves in the games and enjoyed the true spirit of competition,” he said.
The Trojans have a bye through the first round of the conference tournament, but will face the winner of the No. 6 seed/No. 11 seed match-up between South Alabama and New Orleans on Sunday at 9 pm in Hot Springs, Arkansas.
-------------------------
2008-09 Sun Belt Conference Post Season Awards
FIRST TEAM
Shane Edwards, UALR
Nate Rohnert, Denver
Desmond Yates, Middle Tennessee
Brandon Hazzard, Troy
Orlando Mendez-Valdez, WKU
SECOND TEAM
Paul Graham III, Florida Atlantic
Domonic Tilford, South Alabama
Brandon Davis, South Alabama
Richard Delk, Troy
AJ Slaughter, WKU
THIRD TEAM
Freddy Asprilla, FIU
Kyndall Dykes, New Orleans
Eric Tramiel, North Texas
DeAndre Coleman, South Alabama
Michael Vogler, Troy
PLAYER OF THE YEAR ? Orlando Mendez-Valdez, WKU
FRESHMAN OF THE YEAR ? Freddy Asprilla, FIU
NEWCOMER OF THE YEAR ? Richard Delk, Troy
DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE YEAR ? John Fowler, UALR
COACH OF THE YEAR ? Don Maestri, Troy
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