Published: November 12, 2009 01:03 am      

Wilkinson receives LSC basketball preseason honor

Former Greenville Lion all-stater Justin Wilkerson has earned the preseason player of the year award for the Lone Star Conference in basketball.

The 6-9 senior, who transferred to Texas A&M University-Commerce from East Central, received six first-place votes in a poll of conference head coaches, sports information directors and selected media representatives.

Wilkerson averaged 11.2 points and 9.8 rebounds last season for East Central to rank third in the conference in rebounding. He also averaged 12.3 rebounds per game in LSC North Division games.

Angelo State senior forward Shavar Burch earned the South Division accolade. Burch started 27 games for the Rams in 2008-09, averaging 28 minutes per game. His 7.1 rebounds per game led ASU, while his 11.9 points per game ranked third on the team.

 Other players garnering recognition from voters in the preseason poll include Southeastern Oklahoma State’s Will Slones, Central Oklahoma’s Eric Cazenave, Northeastern State’s Jason Jones, Midwestern State’s Craig Green, Texas A&M-Kingsville’s Flavio Milam and West Texas A&M’s Jacquiese Holcombe and Nick Burns. Each player received more than one vote in the preseason balloting.

A&M-Commerce’s Lions finished second to defending champion Central Oklahoma in the LSC North Division team poll. The Lions picked up two first place votes to finish with 113 points. Central Oklahoma claimed 18 first-place votes to win first with 138 points.

Midwestern State beat Angelo State in the voting for first place in the LSC South.

A&M-Commerce, which lost an exhibition game 89-65 to the Texas A&M Aggies last week in College Station, will officially open their season at 5:30 p.m. on Sunday at St. Edward’s University in Austin.



Lone Star Conference

Preseason basketball poll

North Division

First place Total

1. Central Okla. (18) 138

2. A&M-Commerce (2) 113

3. Cameron 81

4. Southwestern Okla. 80

5. Northeastern Okla. 79

6. Southeastern Okla. 37

7. East Central 32



South Division

1. Midwestern State (13) 125

2. Angelo State (4) 111

3. Tarleton State (2) 104

4. West Texas A&M 92

5. Texas A&M-Kingsville (1) 82

6. Abilene Christian 48

7. Eastern N.M. 26