The University of Alabama at Birmingham Athletics
Aaron Johnson Named To Preseason All-Conference USA Second Team
10/13/2010 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
Oct. 13, 2010
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. -- UAB senior point guard Aaron Johnson has been selected by a vote of the league's 12 head coaches to the 2010-11 Conference USA Preseason Second Team, announced the conference office on Wednesday. Johnson, who was named a third-team all-conference performer last season, earned the first preseason accolade of his career.
Johnson returns for his final season after a career year in 2009-10 in which he also was tabbed to the C-USA All-Defensive team in addition to the third-team selection. The Chicago, Ill. native collected an average of 9.6 points, 4.8 assists, 2.5 rebounds and 1.6 steals per contest a year ago - all single-season career bests.
Johnson, who has played in 102 career games and made 77 starts, is a big reason why the Blazers have a record of 70-32 (.686) during his three seasons in the Green and Gold. He enters the 2010-11 campaign needing 173 assists to break the school's all-time assist record of 597, held by former Blazer great Steve Mitchell (1982-86).
Johnson is joined on the preseason all-conference second team with Papa Dia of SMU, Jeremy Williams of UTEP, Arsalan Kazemi of Rice and Will Barton of Memphis.
UTEP senior guard Randy Culpepper was selected as the 2010-11 Conference USA Men's Basketball Preseason Player of the Year after garnering the award a year ago. Culpepper is one of four seniors comprising the preseason all-conference team. He is joined by classmates Gary Flowers of Southern Miss, Justin Hurtt of Tulsa and Brock Young of East Carolina. The lone junior on the first team is Memphis swingman Wesley Witherspoon.
Johnson and the Blazers open practice on Oct. 15 and will play their first exhibition game on Nov. 5 against West Alabama. Tickets for that contest, as well as the regular season games, are available by calling the UAB athletic ticket office at 205-975-UAB1 (8221) or by logging onto UABsports.com.
