Killen makes all-C-USA team

[PonyPride]

Jon Killen Named All-Conference USA
Second Postseason Honor For Killen

March 10, 2008

IRVING, Texas --- SMU’s Jon Killen was selected to the 2008 Conference USA Third Team. In C-USA games, Jon Killen led the league in assists (5.81), was second in minutes (36.25), third in 3-pointers (3.25), sixth in 3FG percentage (.424), eighth in scoring (14.9), 11th in assist/turnover ratio (1.63), and 12th in steals (1.31). He was named Conference USA Player of the Week on Jan. 28, and was already named to the C-USA All-Academic Team. His 12 assists against Houston on Jan. 16 were tied for the most in a league game this season. Overall, he is averaging 5.00 assists (tied for 2nd in C-USA), shooting 40.3 percent from 3-point range (8th in C-USA), making 2.52 3-pointers per game (5th in C-USA) and has a 1.63 assist/turnover ratio (8th in C-USA). Killen had 93 assists in league play this season, which is the sixth-best total in Conference USA history.

Killen is already in the top ten at SMU for career steals (8th at 144) and career 3-pointers (8th at 117). He is 11th in career assists with 362 and needs one to move into at least a tie for tenth. He would be just the third Mustang to be in the top ten in all three categories, joining Jeryl Sasser and Bryan Hopkins. Sasser is 3rd in assists (469), 4th in steals (197), and 6th in 3FG (133). Hopkins is 1st in steals (225), and 2nd in 3FG (256), 8th in assists (396).

After leading No. 2 Memphis to its third straight Conference USA title, the Tigers placed junior Chris Douglas-Roberts and freshman Derrick Rose on the 2008 Conference USA First Team. The pair is joined on the first team by Houston senior Robert McKiver and juniors Stefon Jackson of UTEP and Robert Vaden of UAB, as voted by the league’s 12 head coaches and select media. Douglas-Roberts and McKiver are repeat selections on the first-team, while Jackson earned a spot on the second team last season. Rose and Vaden are both newcomers to the league. Douglas-Roberts and Rose have led the Tigers to a 30-1 record this season as the team’s top two scorers, averaging 17.3 and 14.1 points per game, respectively. The duo appeared on the Mid-Season Watch Lists for a pair of national honors - the Wooden Award and Naismith Trophy. Rose is also a finalist for the Cousy Award, recognizing the top point guard in the nation. Rose becomes the first freshman to earn first-team all-conference honors since former Tiger Sean Banks in 2004.

McKiver is the other repeat member of the first-team. The senior guard has recorded 16 games with 20 or more points, seven 30-point games and topped things off with a Conference USA record 52 points in a Cougar win over Southern Miss on Feb. 28. McKiver leads the conference in free-throw shooting (.886) and ranks second in scoring (23.1 ppg) and steals (1.77 spg).

Jackson leads the league and ranks sixth nationally in scoring, averaging 24.4 points per game for the Miners. The 6-5 guard scored a career-high 41 points in a conference match-up with East Carolina and tallied four other 30-point performances. As just a junior, Jackson enters the Conference USA Championship already ranked No. 17 on the Conference USA career scoring chart.

Vaden has set nearly every offensive school record in his first season with the Blazers. Averaging a league - and nation’s-best 4.6 three-point field goals per game, Vaden broke the Conference USA single-season record for treys (138) in UAB-s regular season finale against Memphis.

UCF junior Jermaine Taylor headlines the all-conference second team. Taylor registered four 30-point games this season and ranks fourth in C-USA with 20.7 ppg. Southern Miss sophomore Jeremy Wise, who became the fastest Golden Eagle to reach 1,000 career points earlier this season, is a repeat selection to the second team. The pair is joined by senior Joey Dorsey of Memphis, Tulane senior David Gomez and Tulsa sophomore Ben Uzoh.

Five different schools were also represented on the all-conference third team. Houston senior forward Dion Dowell and SMU senior guard Jon Killen were joined on the third team by junior forwards Lawrence Kinnard of UAB, Robert Dozier of Memphis and Markel Humphrey of Marshall.

Only five of the 15 players that earned All-Conference recognition were seniors. Seven juniors, two sophomores and one freshman help comprise the squad.

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[smu diamond m]

Good job, Killen. Guy has a lot of heart.

[Tipoff96]

Nice honor for a good kid. Congrats!

[Harry0569]

Great job Jon. He definitely deserves this recognition, and I really don't know how many wins we would have had without him

[that's great raplh]

congrats

[DallasDiehard]

In all honesty, Jon got screwed. He plays on a team that's loaded with freshmen, and therefore suffers in the standings. But he has had a sensational year for us.

Sorry the voters don't see his worth for what it is - congratulations, Jon!

[jtstang]

I stated on more than one occasion that he was not a great ballhandler and that I did not like him at the point because of that. I still think that is a valid observation. However, I have to say that this guy has a lot of heart and willed himself into being an impact player. I'd say that speaks highly of both him, and of the ability of Doherty to get the best out of a player when he's of a mind to give positive encouragement.

[SoCal_Pony]

When was the last time we had 2 players progress as much as Jon and Ike have these last 2 years?

That gives me some hope for the future.

[bagice]

Thats a really good point,

That is what I like most about Doherty, making players better and his ability to see what others may over look. Something we have not had in a very long time.

I think Sasser and Bhop are perfect examples....After four years on the hilltop, neither one of them was really any better of a player their senior year as they were as a freshman....they pretty much just stayed flat and did not improve their game as they got older...a lot of which has to do with coaching.

[mrydel]

I stated on more than one occasion that he was not a great ballhandler and that I did not like him at the point because of that. I still think that is a valid observation. However, I have to say that this guy has a lot of heart and willed himself into being an impact player. I'd say that speaks highly of both him, and of the ability of Doherty to get the best out of a player when he's of a mind to give positive encouragement.

What he said!

[mathman]

I stated on more than one occasion that he was not a great ballhandler and that I did not like him at the point because of that. I still think that is a valid observation. However, I have to say that this guy has a lot of heart and willed himself into being an impact player. I'd say that speaks highly of both him, and of the ability of Doherty to get the best out of a player when he's of a mind to give positive encouragement.

What he said!

It really scares me when I agree completely with jtstang. Has happened more than once lately. Good post

[jtstang]

I'm sure you are not alone in your fears.