MURFREESBORO, Tenn. - Middle Tennessee junior forward Desmond "Boogie" Yates has been named to the All-Sun Belt Conference First-Team in a vote of the league's 13 head coaches and select media members.
Yates earned All-SBC first-team honors for the second straight year after leading Middle Tennessee in scoring (17.5) and field goal percentage (.594). He is one of two Blue Raider basketball players ever to be named to the All-SBC first-team twice, joining Tommy Gunn (2003, 2004). He was the only Blue Raider to earn a spot on the All-SBC teams.
There are three five-members All-SBC squads - a first-team, second-team and third-team.
"It's an honor to be named to the team especially when you consider how many good players there are in the Sun Belt," Yates said. "I appreciate the people who voted for me. I think I've had a good year, not a great year, but there are still games in front of us and that's my focus right now. I just want to help our team win a championship. That would be the greatest award because that's something we can all accomplish together."
Yates is second in the SBC scoring race and third among league leaders for field goal percentage. He is also 11th for free-throw percentage (.775). He scored double figures in 26 games, including 11 with 20-plus points. He became a member of the program's 1,000-point club earlier this season and is currently 12th on the all-time scoring list with 1,385 points and is on pace to became the school's all-time leading scorer next season.
"'Boogie' is a prolific scorer and he has established himself as one of the top scorers in the Sun Belt over the last two seasons," Middle Tennessee Head Coach Kermit Davis said. "There are things 'Boogie' needs to work on that will make him an even better all-around player, such as rebounding, but he has a chance to leave Middle Tennessee as one of the best players who have played here. He is deserving of being recognized as one of the top players in the Sun Belt."
Yates has scored double figures in 72 of 94 career games and has led the team in scoring 43 times during his career. Middle Tennessee will play host to Arkansas State in the first round of the SBC Championships Wednesday at 7 p.m.
All-Sun Belt Conference
First Team
Desmond Yates, Middle Tennessee
Shane Edwards, UALR
Nate Rohnert, Denver
Brandon Hazzard, Troy
Orlando Mendez-Valdez, WKU
Second Team
Paul Graham III, Florida Atlantic
Domonic Tilford, South Alabama
Brandon Davis, South Alabama
Richard Delk, Troy
AJ Slaughter, WKU
Third Team
Freddy Asprilla, FIU
Kyndall Dykes, New Orleans
Eric Tramiel, North Texas
DeAndre Coleman, South Alabama
Michael Vogler, Troy
Player of the Year: Orlando Mendez-Valdez, WKU Freshman of the Year: Freddy Asprilla, FIU Newcomer of the Year: Richard Delk, Troy Defensive Player of the Year: John Fowler, UALR Coach of the Year: Don Maestri, Troy
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