Kingsley Named SLC Player of the Year
3/10/2009 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
March 10, 2009
FRISCO, Texas - After leading Stephen F. Austin to a second consecutive Southland Conference championship, senior center Matt Kingsley has been named the SLC Player of the Year, according to an announcement Tuesday by league officials. This marks the second straight year for a Lumberjack to take home the league's MVP. Kingsley's classmate Josh Alexander earned the honor last season.
Kingsley led SFA with 15.9 points and 7.5 rebounds per game, both career-high averages for the Houston native. He was a two-time SLC Player of the Week this season and posted a career-high seven double-doubles during SFA's championship campaign.
Kingsley finished the regular season with the third-highest scoring average in the SLC and the fifth-best rebounding average. His 55.2-percent shooting average ranks No. 5 in the league. Kingsley is the only player in the Southland to finish in the top five in all three categories.
Tuesday's honor marks Kingsley's third straight. He was a second-team honoree a year ago and earned honorable mention recognition as a sophomore. Kingsley joins Texas A&M-Corpus Christi's Kevin Palmer, UT-Arlington's Anthony Vereen, Ryan Bathie of Nicholls State and Sam Houston State's Corey Allmond on the 2009 First Team.
A year after taking Player of the Year accolades, Alexander was named to the All-SLC Second Team. His 14.1 points and 5.4 rebounds per game were second only to Kingsley on the SFA squad. Including his Freshman of the Year selection and third-team honor as a sophomore, Alexander has received All-SLC honors in four consecutive seasons. Marquez Haynes of UT-Arlington, Ashton Mitchell of Sam Houston State, Texas State's Brandon Bush, and Kenny Dawkins of Lamar were also named to the second team.
Tuesday's announcement marks the first time since the 1992 season for two players from the same team to earn SLC Player of the Year honors in consecutive years. Former league member Louisiana-Monroe had Anthony Jones and Carlos Funchess share the honor in 1991, then Ryan Stuart got the nod in 1992. This is just the sixth time since the league began to award the Player of the Year tag in 1964 that a team has produced consecutive MVPs.
The Lumberjacks (21-7, 13-3 SLC) will open play in the 2009 State Farm SLC Tournament at the Merrell Center in Katy, Texas, Thursday with a game against No. 8 Southeastern Louisiana. A win would move SFA into Friday's semifinals for a meeting with either A&M-Corpus or UT-Arlington.
-- SFA --
