http://conferenceusa.com/news/2017/3/6/M...74246.aspx

2016-17 ALL-CONFERENCE USA FIRST TEAM
Erik McCree, Louisiana Tech, Sr., F, 6-8. 225, Orlando, Florida
Jon Elmore, Marshall, Jr., G, 6-3, 189, Charleston, West Virginia
JaCorey Williams, Middle Tennessee, Sr., F, 6-8, 220, Birmingham, Alabama
Marcus Evans, Rice, So., G, 6-2, 195, Chesapeake, Virginia
Egor Koulechov, Rice, R-Jr., G/F, 6-5, 210, Volgograd, Russia

2016-17 ALL-CONFERENCE USA SECOND TEAM
Jon Davis, Charlotte, So., G, 6-3, 195, Upper Marlboro, Maryland
Reggie Upshaw Jr., Middle Tennessee, Sr., F, 6-8, 228, Chattanooga, Tennessee
William Lee, UAB, Jr., F, 6-9, 210, Plantersville, Alabama
Dominic Artis, UTEP, Sr., G, 6-3, 190, San Francisco, California
Justin Johnson, WKU, Jr., F, 6-6, 240, Hazard, Kentucky

2016-17 ALL-CONFERENCE USA THIRD TEAM
Jacobi Boykins, Louisiana Tech, Jr., G, 6-6, 175, St. Petersburg, Florida
Ryan Taylor, Marshall, Sr., F, 6-5, 249, Indianapolis, Indiana
Giddy Potts, Middle Tennessee, Jr., G, 6-2, 217, Athens, Alabama
Ahmad Caver, Old Dominion, So., G, 6-2, 170, Atlanta, Georgia
Omega Harris, UTEP, Jr., G, 6-3, 165, Bethany, Oklahoma

Looks like there are some very good sophomore guards in this league.

As someone pointed out on twitter, 4/5 members of our First Team are transfers - only Marcus Evans was a C-USA recruit

Transfers are the new JUCO....over 40% of all college players transfer. So coaches are tapping that supply of players

This conference is so bad at picking these things. Leaving Upshaw and Boykins off first team is stupid. Having Evans on the first team should be a crime. Do people even take into account defense? Pace? Efficiency?

Imo, Williams, Upshaw, Igor, Boykins, and Potts were best 5.

Mccree, Johnson, Lee, Elmore and either Caver or Bracey should have been second team

(03-06-2017 03:42 PM)Gilesfan Wrote:  This conference is so bad at picking these things. Leaving Upshaw and Boykins off first team is stupid. Having Evans on the first team should be a crime. Do people even take into account defense? Pace? Efficiency?

Imo, Williams, Upshaw, Igor, Boykins, and Potts were best 5.

Mccree, Johnson, Lee, Elmore and either Caver or Bracey should have been second team

Evans is probably the best player in the league. You do realize he was first team defense last year so it's not like he's all offense? I think his efficiency numbers will go up, but I agree he had too many turnovers. This year he had to take over PG duties and that impacted his numbers some. Last year he had a senior 4 year starter at PG getting him the ball. I realize that watching Rice play ODU might impact your opinion since y'all seem to be a really bad matchup us. Evans and Williams were the only 2 time players of the week I believe.

Whoever voted him first team all defense was incredibly dumb. His defense may have been worst in CUSA. Takes bad shots. Turns the ball over. Hes not a bad player but Im not sure why he gets rewarded just for taking a bunch of shots and lettng his opposition score a bunch.

FWIW, I guess he got voted due go his steals numbers last year. Thats bad enough as it is, but his steal percentage was cut in half this year from last.

These things are really hard to pick. It's all just opinions anyway. If I were to find any fault with results it's that 2 from Rice being on first team? I think both are excellent players, not disparaging them at all. Also I don't know which one you would chose over the other, but Rice finished 5th. If anybody warranted two first team players it was MTSU. I would have had Upshaw on first team as I feel he is their best "overall" player.

It is a crime that Dominic Artis was left off of the the 1st team. Here is what the other guards in the conference did against him.
Evans 11 pts on 3-11 shooting
Elmore 11 pts on 2-12 shooting
Boykins 3 pts on 1-5 shooting
Potts 9 pts on 3-11 shooting
Caver 6 pts on 2-7 shooting

So the best guards in the league were 13-58 shooting, 22% against Artis. He is also second in the league in steels with 57. He better get defensive player of the year or there is something really wrong with the selection process.

(03-06-2017 04:19 PM)stanman505 Wrote:  It is a crime that Dominic Artis was left off of the the 1st team. Here is what the other guards in the conference did against him.
Evans 11 pts on 3-11 shooting
Elmore 11 pts on 2-12 shooting
Boykins 3 pts on 1-5 shooting
Potts 9 pts on 3-11 shooting
Caver 6 pts on 2-7 shooting

So the best guards in the league were 13-58 shooting, 22% against Artis. He is also second in the league in steels with 57. He better get defensive player of the year or there is something really wrong with the selection process.

He deserves discussion for all defensive team for sure. Him and Caver were best defenders on the leage at PG, I believe. Dont think he was good enough offensivley to be first team or second team.

(03-06-2017 04:08 PM)Gilesfan Wrote:  Whoever voted him first team all defense was incredibly dumb. His defense may have been worst in CUSA. Takes bad shots. Turns the ball over. Hes not a bad player but Im not sure why he gets rewarded just for taking a bunch of shots and lettng his opposition score a bunch.

FWIW, I guess he got voted due go his steals numbers last year. Thats bad enough as it is, but his steal percentage was cut in half this year from last.

I mean, I guess the coaches and media probably have a better idea on this kind of stuff. I'm not necessarily disagreeing...I don't think Marcus should've been first team and I think he struggled a bit adjusting to playing the 1, but I do think the people watching every game have a better idea than the fans. Also, a team like ODU is always gonna struggle to get guys on all-conference lists just because good defensive metrics are difficult to find and offensive #s are sexy (w/ the obvious exception of Trey Freeman) . It's not fair that a guy like Caver who's capable enough on O and one of the top 5 defensive guards in the conference is on the 3rd team, but more than not that's how it's gonna be.

(03-06-2017 03:42 PM)Gilesfan Wrote:  This conference is so bad at picking these things. Leaving Upshaw and Boykins off first team is stupid. Having Evans on the first team should be a crime. Do people even take into account defense? Pace? Efficiency?

Imo, Williams, Upshaw, Igor, Boykins, and Potts were best 5.

Mccree, Johnson, Lee, Elmore and either Caver or Bracey should have been second team

Evans was a very close 3rd in the conference in scoring (and led all players in conference games only in scoring up until the final weekend. Koulechov was 4th in the conference in scoring and first in rebounding.

I would have made Egor 2nd team but Evans is definitely deserving of 1st team.

It's kind of absurd they have Upshaw and Potts making 2nd and 3rd team. At worst it should have been Upshaw first and Potts on the 2nd. Two of the top five or six players in the league.

You can clearly tell voters only looked at minimal metrics.

After further thought it's downright ridiculous.

I don't think Upshaw is POY just because the stats people base these things on are spread across so many players on MTs roster, but there isn't another player I would take to build a team around. He made everyone better including Jacorey. Without Upshaw, Jacorey doesn't have the year he had. C-USA is dumb on so many levels.

(03-06-2017 08:28 PM)ThreeifbyLightning Wrote:  After further thought it's downright ridiculous.

I don't think Upshaw is POY just because the stats people base these things on are spread across so many players on MTs roster, but there isn't another player I would take to build a team around. He made everyone better including Jacorey. Without Upshaw, Jacorey doesn't have the year he had. C-USA is dumb on so many levels.

I hope this will light an additional fire under Reggie, maybe the best 4-year overall player I've ever seen at MT (counting leadership abilities). Kind of strange that he couldn't make first team on the 24th ranked conference. Meanwhile his own team is in the Top 25 in the nation.

(03-06-2017 08:28 PM)ThreeifbyLightning Wrote:  After further thought it's downright ridiculous.

I don't think Upshaw is POY just because the stats people base these things on are spread across so many players on MTs roster, but there isn't another player I would take to build a team around. He made everyone better including Jacorey. Without Upshaw, Jacorey doesn't have the year he had. C-USA is dumb on so many levels.

I don't have a vote. If I did, though, my Player of the Year vote would have gone to Reggie Upshaw. Stats don't tell the entire story. I definitely can't understand how he wasn't a first team selection.

Reggie Upshaw was deserving of being on the 1st team and would have gotten my vote.

It is hard to believe that they have two players from the 5th place team on the 1st team while left out Upshaw.

When is Coach of the Year announced ?

Shocked Upshaw didn't make 1st team.