Men Take Home Awards
March 4, 2009
BARTLESVILLE, Okla. -- Members of the Southwestern Oklahoma State University men's basketball team were on the receiving end of a number of post-season honors handed out by the Lone Star Conference at the league's annual banquet Tuesday in Bartlesville, Okla.
Kenneth White and Abdullah Lawal were among the top winners of the evening while Clarke Hale, Jerard Campbell and Kendall Smith took home awards as well.
White, a 6-2 senior guard from Dallas, Texas, was one of five players in the LSC North Division that were selected to the first team. White made an instant impact in his final year at SWOSU after transferring from Florida International. He led the team in scoring averaging 20 points a game and four times this year scored 30 or more points. His highest scoring effort was 34 in an overtime win against Washburn University.
Lawal, a 6-2 senior guard from Plano, Texas, won his second LSC North Defensive Player-of-the-Year award. This time he added a second-team all-conference selection to his list of accomplishments. Lawal is the conference's record holder for most steals in a career (259) and season (118) and ranks as the NCAA Division II leader in that category averaging 4.4 thefts a game.
Hale, a 6-3 senior guard from Azle, Texas, was also a second-team selection. Hale averaged 13.1 points per game this season and became one of a handful of players to score more than 1,000 points in a career at SWOSU. He ranks among the LSC leaders in three point accuracy (44%) and free throw accuracy (85%).
Campbell and Smith were each honorable mention all-conference selections.
Campbell, 6-3 senior from Del City, had four "double-doubles" this year and finished second on the team in scoring (13.6 ppg) and led the squad in rebounding (7.1 rpg). He won the LSC North Player-of-the-Week honors twice this season.
Smith, a 6-3 senior from Cherokee, ranks among the LSC leaders in three-pointers made this season with 81. Twice this year, he made eight three-pointers in game, once against The Apprentice College and the second against East Central.