Troy University Athletics
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/ Basketball (M)
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/ Basketball (M)
Person Tabbed Preseason All-Sun Belt First Team
10/21/2015 8:33:00 AM | Basketball (M)
TROY, Alabama – Troy men's basketball sophomore standout Wesley Person was named to the All-Sun Belt Conference Preseason First Team, the league announced on Wednesday.Â
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 "It's good to see the league coaches recognize Wesley's accomplishments last year as a freshman by naming him preseason first team this year," head coach Phil Cunningham said. "He had a terrific off season, and we're excited about where he is heading into his sophomore year."
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Person, who was the only underclassmen selected to the first team, was the 2015 Sun Belt Freshman of the Year. He averaged 14.2 points per game on his way to breaking the Troy Division I freshman scoring record with 412 points.
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As a freshman, he averaged 2.6 3-pointers per game, which ranked the fourth-best among freshmen in the NCAA and is tied for first among returners in the Sun Belt.
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The Brantley, Ala., native scored in double figures in 25 of 29 games last season, including five games with 20-plus points. He scored a career-high 31 points in Troy's 71-66 win over UT Arlington as he shot 11-of-16 from the floor, and 5-of-6 from downtown.
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Person, who was already a second team preseason all-conference honoree by College Sports Madness, Â was an All-Sun Belt third team selection last season.
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The Trojans were picked to finish 11 in the preseason polls. The team returns just two starters and four letterwinners from last year's squad. The team features three returning redshirts and five newcomers, four of who will play, including three freshmen and junior college defensive player of the year, Daniel Peace.
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"I'm not surprised at all about where the coaches picked us," Cunningham said. "We're about as unknown as you can get to those guys. Outside of John (Walton III), Wesley, and Kelton (Ford), they know very little about our team. We've got four new recruits who will play this year and three players who redshirted last year, who they have never seen play. We see them every day, and I think we are going to surprise the rest of the league this season.
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Georgia Southern was picked to finish in a tie for ninth place last year, simply because none of the other coaches knew anything about their team, and they finished second in the league."
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The Trojans open their season with an exhibition game against AUM on November 5 at 7:30 p.m., following the women's exhibition game, which starts at 5:30 p.m.
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Troy opens its season on the road this year as it heads to South Florida on November 13. Its home opener is set for November 15, as the play host to Reinhardt for a 2 p.m. tip.
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Preseason First Team All-Conference
Anthony Livingston (Arkansas State, Jr., F, Interdisciplinary Studies)
Shawn Long (UL Lafayette, Sr., F/C, General Studies)
Ken Williams (South Alabama, Junior, Guard, Interdisciplinary studies)
Emani Gant (Texas State, Senior, Forward)
Wesley Person (Troy, Sophomore, Guard, Global Business)
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Preseason Second Team All-Conference
Frank Eaves (Appalachian State University, Senior, Guard, Management)
Markus Crider (Georgia State, Senior, Forward, Speech)
Kevin Ware (Georgia State, Senior, Guard, Religious Studies)
Josh Hagins (Little Rock, Senior, Guard, Health Science)
Majok Deng (UL Monroe, Senior, Forward, General Studies)
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Preseason Third Team All-Conference
Jeremy Hollowell (Georgia State, RS-Junior, Forward, Interdisciplinary Studies)
Roger Woods (Little Rock, Senior, Forward, Criminal Justice)
Devonta Walker (UL Lafayette, Sr., F, General Studies)
Jay Wright (UL Lafayette, Jr., G, General Studies)
Nick Coppola (UL Monroe, Junior, Guard, Risk Management and Insurance)
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Preseason Student-Athlete of the Year
Shawn Long (UL Lafayette, Sr., F/C, General Studies)
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Preseason Coaches Poll
(First place votes in parenthesis)
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 "It's good to see the league coaches recognize Wesley's accomplishments last year as a freshman by naming him preseason first team this year," head coach Phil Cunningham said. "He had a terrific off season, and we're excited about where he is heading into his sophomore year."
Â
Person, who was the only underclassmen selected to the first team, was the 2015 Sun Belt Freshman of the Year. He averaged 14.2 points per game on his way to breaking the Troy Division I freshman scoring record with 412 points.
Â
As a freshman, he averaged 2.6 3-pointers per game, which ranked the fourth-best among freshmen in the NCAA and is tied for first among returners in the Sun Belt.
Â
The Brantley, Ala., native scored in double figures in 25 of 29 games last season, including five games with 20-plus points. He scored a career-high 31 points in Troy's 71-66 win over UT Arlington as he shot 11-of-16 from the floor, and 5-of-6 from downtown.
Â
Person, who was already a second team preseason all-conference honoree by College Sports Madness, Â was an All-Sun Belt third team selection last season.
Â
The Trojans were picked to finish 11 in the preseason polls. The team returns just two starters and four letterwinners from last year's squad. The team features three returning redshirts and five newcomers, four of who will play, including three freshmen and junior college defensive player of the year, Daniel Peace.
Â
"I'm not surprised at all about where the coaches picked us," Cunningham said. "We're about as unknown as you can get to those guys. Outside of John (Walton III), Wesley, and Kelton (Ford), they know very little about our team. We've got four new recruits who will play this year and three players who redshirted last year, who they have never seen play. We see them every day, and I think we are going to surprise the rest of the league this season.
Â
Georgia Southern was picked to finish in a tie for ninth place last year, simply because none of the other coaches knew anything about their team, and they finished second in the league."
Â
The Trojans open their season with an exhibition game against AUM on November 5 at 7:30 p.m., following the women's exhibition game, which starts at 5:30 p.m.
Â
Troy opens its season on the road this year as it heads to South Florida on November 13. Its home opener is set for November 15, as the play host to Reinhardt for a 2 p.m. tip.
Â
Preseason First Team All-Conference
Anthony Livingston (Arkansas State, Jr., F, Interdisciplinary Studies)
Shawn Long (UL Lafayette, Sr., F/C, General Studies)
Ken Williams (South Alabama, Junior, Guard, Interdisciplinary studies)
Emani Gant (Texas State, Senior, Forward)
Wesley Person (Troy, Sophomore, Guard, Global Business)
Â
Preseason Second Team All-Conference
Frank Eaves (Appalachian State University, Senior, Guard, Management)
Markus Crider (Georgia State, Senior, Forward, Speech)
Kevin Ware (Georgia State, Senior, Guard, Religious Studies)
Josh Hagins (Little Rock, Senior, Guard, Health Science)
Majok Deng (UL Monroe, Senior, Forward, General Studies)
Â
Preseason Third Team All-Conference
Jeremy Hollowell (Georgia State, RS-Junior, Forward, Interdisciplinary Studies)
Roger Woods (Little Rock, Senior, Forward, Criminal Justice)
Devonta Walker (UL Lafayette, Sr., F, General Studies)
Jay Wright (UL Lafayette, Jr., G, General Studies)
Nick Coppola (UL Monroe, Junior, Guard, Risk Management and Insurance)
Â
Preseason Student-Athlete of the Year
Shawn Long (UL Lafayette, Sr., F/C, General Studies)
Â
Preseason Coaches Poll
(First place votes in parenthesis)
| Rank | Team | Points (1st Place Votes) |
| 1 | UL Lafayette | 119 (9) |
| 2 | Georgia State | 108 (2) |
| 3 | UL Monroe | 97 |
| 4 | Arkansas State | 71 |
| 5 | Little Rock | 68 |
| 6 | Appalachian State | 64 |
| 7 | South Alabama | 56 |
| 8 | UT Arlington | 48 |
| Texas State | 48 | |
| 10 | Georgia Southern | 28 |
| 11 | Troy | 19 |
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