Parker Named Lou Henson Preseason All-American
11/13/2014 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
LouHenson.com
NACOGDOCHES, Texas – Senior forward Jacob Parker was named to the 2014-15 Lou Henson Award Watch List, announced by CollegeInsider.com on Wednesday night. The watch list also comprises the 2014-15 Lou Henson Preseason All-America Team.
The Lou Henson Award is presented annually to the top Mid-Major player in Division I college basketball. The award is named in honor of Lou Henson, who retired after a spectacular coaching career that lasted 41 years. When he left the game in 2005, he was sixth all-time in career Division I wins with 779. He is the winningest coach at both Illinois and New Mexico State. He is one of only 12 coaches in the history of the game to take two schools to the Final Four.
Parker makes the appearance on the preseason team after a breakout junior season, in which he was named a 2013-14 Lou Henson Award finalist and Mid-Major All-American.
The preseason honor adds to the recognition for the native of Bixby, Okla., entering his final campaign as a Lumberjack. Over the summer and fall semesters, Parker was No. 91 in ESPN’s ranking of the top 100 college players (Oct. 29), as well being tabbed the 19th most complete player and second most fundamentally sound player by Bleacher Report.
Last season, Parker closed his junior campaign averaging 14. 2 points and 7.1 rebounds per game, recording 10 double-doubles. He ended the season ranked among the conference leaders in several statistical categories, including fifth in offensive rebounds (2.5), seventh in rebounding (7.1) and free throw percentage (.799), eighth in field goal percentage (.538), 11th in defensive rebounds (4.6), 12th in scoring (14.2) and 14th in steals (1.4), also scoring in double figures in all but six of the team's 35 games and scored 20 points or more six times.
Parker, who is a preseason first team All-Southland Conference selection for 2014-15, is the reigning SLC Player of the Year. Last season, he was also named first team All-SLC, Texas Association of Basketball Coaches (TABC) University Men's Player of the Year and a USBWA (District VII) and NABC (District 23 First Team) all-district selection.
The 2015 recipient of the Lou Henson Award will be announced at the CollegeInsider.com Awards Banquet on April 3 in Indianapolis, site of the 2015 men's NCAA Basketball Championship. 
-SFA-
