The University of Alabama at Birmingham Athletics
Two Blazers Earn All-Conference Accolades
3/5/2007 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
March 5, 2007
IRVING, Texas - For the second consecutive season, the UAB backcourt earned a nod to the Conference USA All-Conference teams, announced league officials on Monday. Junior guard Paul Delaney III earned first-team accolades, while senior guard/forward Wen Mukubu got the nod as a member of the third team. It marked the first such awards for both players in their careers.
Delaney earns a spot on the first team after earning two C-USA Player of the Week awards and ranking among the league leaders in points, assists, steals and minutes. Delaney enters the Conference USA Tournament with averages of 15.7 points, 5.1 assists, 4.9 rebounds and 1.9 steals a game, while also shooting 46.2 percent from the floor. He currently ranks second in the league in assists and steals, fifth in scoring and 14th in field goal percentage. What makes his numbers even more impressive is the fact that Delaney switched to the point guard position prior to the start of the season, even though he had never played the position before.
"Paul is very deserving of this honor," UAB head coach Mike Davis said. "Not only has Paul had a great year, but he did so in a year of transition. He had to learn a new system and a new position, going from the off-guard to a point guard. He has done a tremendous job for us this year and I am very happy people around the league took notice."
Mukubu is also having a career season during the 2006-07 campaign. Mukubu is averaging 14.5 points, 5.8 rebounds, 2.5 assists and 1.4 steals a game, while also shooting 42.4 percent from the floor and 40.0 percent from beyond the arc. Mukubu has really stepped his play up towards the end of the season, and is a main reason why the Blazers have captured wins in four of their last seven contests heading into the conference tournament. During that span, the Miami, Fla. native has reset his career-high scoring mark on two separate occasions, going for 24 at Houston (2/17) and a career-high mark of 26 against Southern Miss (2/28). Over UAB's last five contests, Mukubu is averaging 20.0 points and 6.8 rebounds a game, which leads the Blazers in both categories.
"I am proud of Wen and the strides he made this year," Davis said. "As of late, I feel Wen has been one of the best players on the court. He has really made a difference down the stretch for us. I am happy for him and glad to see his efforts and hard work are paying off."
Delaney was joined on the Conference USA first team by Joey Dorsey and Chris Douglas-Roberts of Memphis, Morris Almond of Rice and Robert McKiver of Houston. Tulsa's Rod Earls, Tulane's David Gomez, Marshall's Markel Humphrey and SMU's Ike Ofoegbu were third team members with Mukubu.
The league's postseason awards announcements continue Tuesday with the unveiling of the All-Freshman Team, All-Defensive Team, Freshman of the Year, Defensive Player of the Year and Sixth-Person of the Year awards. The Coach and Player of the Year Awards will be announced Wednesday.
The Blazers travel to Memphis Monday to begin preparations for Wednesday's opening round contest against Marshall (6 p.m.) in the 2007 Conference USA Men's Basketball Championships presented by Aeropostale.
2006-07 ALL-CONFERENCE USA FIRST TEAM
Morris Almond, Rice, G, 6-6, 215, Sr., Powder Springs, Ga.
Paul Delaney III, UAB, 6-2, 200, Jr., Decatur, Ga.
Joey Dorsey, Memphis, F, 6-9, 260, Jr., Baltimore, Md.
Chris Douglas-Roberts, Memphis, G, 6-5, 180, So., Detroit, Mich.
Robert McKiver, Houston, G, 6-3, 190, Jr., New Haven, Conn.
2006-07 ALL-CONFERENCE USA SECOND TEAM
Jeremy Hunt, Memphis, G, 6-5, 210, Sr., Memphis, Tenn.
Stefon Jackson, UTEP, G. 6-5, 170, So., Philadelphia, Pa.
Oliver Lafayette, Houston, G, 6-3, 180, Sr., Baton Rouge, La.
Josh Peppers, UCF, F, 6-6, 210, Sr., Memphis, Tenn.
Jeremy Wise, Southern Miss, G, 6-2, 165, Fr., Jackson, Miss.
2006-07 ALL-CONFERENCE USA THIRD TEAM
Rod Earls, Tulsa, G, 6-2, 194, Jr., Little Rock, Ark.
David Gomez, Tulane, F/C, 6-7, 225, Jr., Baton Rouge, La.
Markel Humphrey, Marshall, F, 6-5, 215, So., Ellenwood, Ga.
Wen Mukubu, UAB, G/F, 6-6, 205, Sr. Miami, Fla.
Ike Ofoegbu, SMU, F, 6-9, 215, Sr., San Antonio, Texas
