As expected, junior guard Jerica Coley repeated as Sun Belt Player of the Year. Coley's 26.1 points per game leads the nation in scoring. She's also third in the conference in blocked shots (1.76 per game, 60th nationally) and free throw percentage (83.8, 44th nationally). She also leads FIU in assists (3.4 per game) and steals (2.2 per game).
The best statistic to demonstrate Coley's worth to FIU: she accounts for 42.6 percent of the Panthers' scoring.
Forward Marita Davydova was voted to Third Team All-Sun Belt after averaging 10.2 points per game and 8.6 rebounds per game.
On the men's side, FIU junior forward Tymell Murphy made First Team All-Sun Belt as voted on by 11 media members (yes, I was one) and 11 conference coaches.
Murphy's team high 15.1 points per game was pedestrian compared to his No. 8 in the nation field goal percentage (58.8 percent from the field). There's no statistic for measuring the timing of Murphy's points. Malik Smith seemed to come up with the end-of-game baskets. Murphy came up with the ones that halted opponent's runs and calmed FIU down. Also, Murphy pulled down a team-high 6.9 rebounds and was 95th in the nation (second on FIU behind Deric Hill) with 1.79 steals for the nation's seventh best team of thieves.
I'm not exactly sure how a team that's get a No. 4 seed and a bye in the conference tournament gets voted only one all-conference player among three teams. And I thought Richard Pitino was an easy Coach of the Year call. I might be on the island there as Middle Tennessee State's Kermit Davis received that honor.
