FAU Guard, Pablo Bertone, Named to C-USA First Team

Eleven schools are represented on the 2014 All-Conference USA men’s basketball first, second and third teams, as announced today. Players from five schools comprise the first team unit. Voting on the awards was done by the C-USA head coaches and media members in each conference city.

Senior Pablo Bertone of Florida Atlantic ended the regular season as the league’s scoring leader, averaging 18.9 points per game. He became the 11th Owl in school history to score 1,000 points during a game at Middle Tennessee on Feb. 6, then followed that up two days later with a career-high 34 points against UAB. Bertone, a native of Arroyito, Argentina, also earned C-USA Player of the Week honors following a 31-point performance in a win over intrastate foe UCF in non-conference play.

UAB junior guard Chad Frazier earns all-conference honors in his first season with the Blazers. Frazier has poured in 17.7 points per game this season to lead UAB and rank third in the league. During the non-conference season, Frazier was named to the Charleston Classic All-Tournament Team after back-to-back 30-point performances against then-No. 19 New Mexico (34 points) and Nebraska (32). The Charlotte, N.C., native also received recognition as a two-time C-USA Player of the Week selection.

Middle Tennessee senior forward Shawn Jones was a three-time C-USA Player of the Week selection in the Blue Raiders’ inaugural season in the conference. Jones ranks seventh in the league for scoring (15.1 ppg) and fifth in rebounding (8.1 rpg), while registering 10 double-doubles on the season. He has scored in double-digits 22 times this year, with a career-high 25 points at Florida Atlantic and scoring his 1,000th career point at FIU. Jones, who hails from Hialeah, Fla., has been a key to the Blue Raiders 28-8 record and their third-straight conference regular-season title.

Louisiana Tech junior guard Kenneth “Speedy” Smith leads the league in assists (7.9 per game), steals (2.6 per game) and assist-to-turnover ratio (3.25) and ranks among the Top 10 nationally in all three categories. He has already set the school’s single season record for assists (237) and steals (78) and is just two shy of tying the league’s single-season assist record. The St. Petersburg, Fla., native was credited with at least eight helpers in 14 of the team’s 16 games and averaged 9.3 assists against C-USA opponents. Following a weekend of back-to-back contests with 13 assists per game, Smith shared Co-C-USA Player of the Week honors with fellow all-conference first-team selection Neil Watson.

Southern Miss senior guard Neil Watson rounds out the first team. In 2012, Watson was named the C-USA Newcomer and Sixth Man of the Year. This season, the Kansas City, Kan., native has made a team-best 30 starts as the Golden Eagles’ leading scorer (10.8 ppg). He leads Conference USA and ranks fourth nationally in free throw percentage (.933), including a string of 51 consecutive free throws made to set a school record. Watson is only the second player in school history to reach 1,000 points, 450 assists, 250 rebounds and 125 steals for his career.

A pair of UTEP Miners were represented on the all-conference second team, including 2013 all-conference third team selection Julian Washburn. He is joined by teammate Vince Hunter, one of two freshman to receive a place on the all-conference teams, along with East Carolina senior guard Akeem Richmond, FIU senior Tymell Murphy and Tulsa sophomore James Woodard.

Southern Miss forward Michael Craig and UTEP center John Bohannon are the senior members of the third unit. The pair are joined by junior guard Pierriá Henry of Charlotte, Alex Hamiltonof Louisiana Tech and freshman Kareem Canty of Marshall.

The 2014 Conference USA Men’s Basketball Championship will be held March 11-15 at the Don Haskins Center in El Paso, Texas. Tickets are available by calling (915) 747-6150.