Thursday, March 3, 2016

XU's Wright, Carter collect GCAC season honors


NEW ORLEANS — Xavier University of Louisiana's Morris Wright and Elex Carter earned season honors in Gulf Coast Athletic Conference men's basketball Wednesday. Wright was chosen first-team All-GCAC for the third consecutive season, and he and Carter were named to the inaugural GCAC All-Defensive team.
    
The Gold Rush (19-11) will play Tougaloo (13-11) at 2 p.m. Friday at Dillard's Dent Hall in the opening round of the GCAC Tournament. Semifinals and finals for men and women will be played this weekend at XU's Convocation Center.
    
Wright, a 5-foot-10 senior guard from Zachary, La., and a former Zachary High School and Baton Rouge Community College standout, is the seventh from the Gold Rush to earn all-district or all-conference three times. He is averaging 18.9 points per game and is in the top 10 at Xavier in seven career categories, including No. 5 with 1,494 points. He leads the GCAC with a .423 3-point field-goal percentage and is top-4 in eight categories.
    
Carter, a 6-7 sophomore forward from LaPlace, La., and a graduate of East St. John High School, has blocked 34 shots — 11th on the Gold Rush all-time season list and XU's most since Angel Pinales blocked 38 in 1992-93. Carter also has 21 steals and 128 defensive rebounds. Wright leads Xavier with 54 steals and is tied for 10th at Xavier with 167 career steals.
    
Xavier's defense again is one of the best in NAIA Division I, ranking second in scoring defense (62.3) and field-goal percentage defense (.385). Xavier was the only team with more than one player named to the GCAC All-Defensive squad.
    
The GCAC's seven head coaches voted on the honors. Major awards, such as Player of the Year and Coach of the Year, will be announced Thursday evening at a tournament banquet at Xavier's University Center.

2015-16 All-GCAC Men's Basketball
First Team
NameSchoolPos.Yr.
Demetric AustinDillardFJr.
Courtney MackTalladegaFSr.
Quintarius PorterTougalooG/FSr.
Jordan WashingtonTalladegaGSr.
Morris WrightXavierGSr.
 
Second Team
NameSchoolPos.Yr.
Rashad BrackeenPhilander SmithGJr.
Joe BrownSUNOCSr.
Dennis HightowerDillardGJr.
Ronald MarchPhilander SmithGSr.
De'Andre ScottTougalooGSr.
Charles-Eddie SmithEdward WatersGSo.
Keith WilliamsEdward WatersGJr.

Honorable Mention
Oceann Maddox, Edward Waters (G/F, Jr.); Christ Ward, Philander Smith (F, Jr.); Ezekiel Brown, SUNO (G, Fr.); Dominique Suggs, SUNO (G/F, Jr.); Jarmell Anderson, Tougaloo (G, Jr.); Andravious Smith, Tougaloo (F, Jr.)

2015-16 GCAC All-Defensive Team
NameSchoolPos.Yr.
Joe BrownSUNOCSr.
Elex CarterXavierFSo.
Courtney MackTalladegaFSr.
Oceann MaddoxEdward WatersG/FJr.
Morris WrightXavierGSr.
 
Honorable Mention
Kristian Clark, Dillard (G/F, Jr.); Dennis Hightower, Dillard (G, Jr.); Cameron Venus, Edward Waters (F, Sr.); Chris Ward, Philander Smith (F, Jr.); Ezekiel Brown, SUNO (G, Fr.); Jarmell Anderson, Tougaloo (G, Jr.); Denevian Cunningham, Tougaloo (F, Jr.); De'Andre Scott, Tougaloo (G, Sr.); Andravious Smith, Tougaloo (F, Jr.)

Ed Cassiere, Sports Information Director
XULAgold.com
XAVIER UNIVERSITY OF LOUISIANA 
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