Papa Dia Selected To Conference USA All-Freshman Team

[PonyPride]

Papa Dia Selected To Conference USA All-Freshman Team
Second Mustang To Earn Postseason Honors


March 11, 2008

IRVING, Texas - SMU forward Papa Dia was named to the Conference USA All-Freshman Team as the league announced its specialty awards voted by the conference's 12 head coaches and select media. In league play, Dia finished seventh in rebounding (6.4) and 26th in scoring (10.9). He ranked first in rebounding and third in scoring among C-USA freshmen.

Dia is the second Mustang to receive postseason honors after senior guard Jon Killen was selected to the All-Conference USA Third Team and the Conference USA All-Academic Team. Dia is the second Mustang to garner Conference USA All-Freshman honors; junior center Bamba Fall was a 2006-07 selection.

Memphis guard Derrick Rose was named the 2007-08 Conference USA Freshman of the Year and was the only freshman to earn all-conference honors. His teammate Joey Dorsey repeated as the C-USA Defensive Player of the Year. UAB junior guard Robert Vaden was named the Newcomer of the Year and UTEP freshman guard Randy Culpepper was recognized as the Sixth Player of the Year.

Dia is joined on the all-freshman team by Rose of Memphis, Tirrell Baines of Marshall, R.L. Horton of Southern Miss and Randy Culpepper of UTEP. Rose became the first freshman to earn first-team all-conference honors since former Tiger Sean Banks in 2004 and is the top freshman scorer in the league, averaging 14.1 points per game. In fact, all five all-freshman team members are averaging in double figures and Dia is the top freshman rebounder with an overall average of 6.7 rpg.

Besides his all-freshman team honor, Culpepper was named the 2007-08 Conference USA Sixth Man of the Year. The 5-10 guard has played in all 29 games for the Miners, with just seven starts. In less than 24 minutes per game, Culpepper is averaging 12.4 ppg (ranked 15th in the conference). Culpepper also ranks third in the league with 1.69 steals per game.

Vaden, a transfer from Indiana University, 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. He ranks third in the conference in scoring with 21.8 ppg.

For the second season in a row, Dorsey highlights the All-Defensive Team, along with teammate Antonio Anderson, as the Tigers have posted a 30-1 record behind the defensive tandem. Dorsey is the conference's top rebounder, with 10.0 boards per game, and ranks third in the conference in blocks (2.03 bpg). Anderson has a 2.28 assist-to-turnover ratio to lead the conference.

The league's top shot blocker, 7-foot Tulsa sophomore center Jerome Jordan is also on the 2007-08 all-defensive team. Seniors Mark Dorris of Marshall and Dave Noel of UCF round out the all-defensive squad.

The Mustangs begin C-USA Tournament play against UTEP at the FedExForum in Memphis, Tenn., on Wednesday at 2:30 p.m.

2007-08 CONFERENCE USA ALL-FRESHMAN TEAM
Papa Dia, SMU, F, 6-9, 250, Fr., St. Louis, Senegal
Tirrell Baines, Marshall, F, 6-6, 210, Fr., Laurens, S.C.
Randy Culpepper, UTEP, G, 5-10, 160, Fr., Memphis, Tenn.
R. L. Horton, Southern Miss, G, 6-0, 175, Fr., Jackson, Miss.
Derrick Rose, Memphis, G, 6-3, 190, Fr., Chicago, Ill.

2007-08 FRESHMAN OF THE YEAR
Derrick Rose, Memphis, G, 6-3, 190, Fr., Chicago, Ill.

2007-08 CONFERENCE USA ALL-DEFENSIVE TEAM
Antonio Anderson, Memphis, G, 6-6, 210, Jr., Lynn, Mass.
Mark Dorris, Marshall, G, 6-2, 180, Sr., Cincinnati, Ohio
Joey Dorsey, Memphis, F, 6-9, 265, Sr., Baltimore, Md.
Jerome Jordan, Tulsa, C, 7-0, 235, So., Kingston, Jamaica
Dave Noel, UCF, G, 6-3, 205, Sr., Boynton Beach, Fla.

2007-08 DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE YEAR
Joey Dorsey, Memphis, F, 6-9, 265, Sr., Baltimore, Md.

2007-08 NEWCOMER OF THE YEAR
Robert Vaden, UAB, G/F, 6-5, 225, Jr., Indianapolis, Ind.

2007-08 SIXTH MAN OF THE YEAR
Randy Culpepper, UTEP, G, 5-10, 160, Fr., Memphis, Tenn.

[PonyDoh]

The kid is a great building block. If he works his butt off, he could dominate the league the next few years.