Nov. 9, 2009

Birmingham, AL -

Complete All-SWAC team

The Southwestern Athletic Conference announced its 2009-10 Men's Basketball Preseason All-Conference honors Monday with Jackson State F Grant Maxey voted as Preseason Player of the Year and Prairie View A&M F Darnell Hugee selected Preseason Defensive Player of the Year.

The Jackson State Tigers, who finished second in both the regular season and in the conference tournament, were voted to win the 2009-10 title.

Honors were voted on by the league's coaches, sports information departments and selected members of the media.

Maxey, a 6-foot-7, 210-pound senior from Toledo, OH, was second in the league in scoring (16.4 ppg), sixth in rebounding (6.7 rpg), sixth in field goal percentage (45.5), third in free throw percentage (78.0), and sixth in steals (1.6 spg). He posted nine 20-point games, including one 30-point game, and had five double-double games, and five 10+-rebound games

Hugee, a 6-foot-7, 205-pound senior from Brooklyn, NY, averaged 12.0 points, was second in the league in rebounding (7.3 rpg), fifth in field goal percentage (47.2), and tied for second in total blocked shots last season (42). Hugee posted four 20-point games, was second in the league with nine double-double games and led the SWAC with 12 10+-rebounds games.

Jackson State posted a 15-3 mark in SWAC play last season en route to a 18-15 finish. The Tigers finished second to defending champion Alabama State for both the regular season and tournament crowns.

Joining Maxey and Hugee on the first team were guards Terrance Calvin (Univ. Arkansas-Pine Bluff), DeAndre Hall (Texas Southern) and Rod Melvin (Jackson State).

Named second team preseason All-SWAC were guards Chris Jones (Prairie View A&M), Garrison Johnson (Jackson State) and Evan Hilton (Alabama A&M), and forwards Shannon Behling (Mississippi Valley State), and Lebaron Weathers (Univ. Arkansas-Pine Bluff).

Predicted Order of Finish

(first place votes in parentheses)

Jackson State (7)
Prairie View A&M (3)
Univ. Ark-Pine Bluff (1)
Alabama State (2)
Alabama A&M (2)
Southern
Texas Southern
Miss. Valley St.
Alcorn St.
Grambling St.