March 11, 2014
ARLINGTON, Texas - UT Arlington seniors Reger Dowell and Brandon Edwards were named All-Sun Belt Conference, the league announced Tuesday. Sun Belt scoring leader Dowell earned first-team honors and Edwards received third-team recognition.
"I'm very happy for them," UT Arlington coach Scott Cross said. "Reger did a great job all season long scoring the basketball and is very deserving of it. Brandon, with his points and tremendous rebound, he's very deserving of the honor as well. It's a great honor overall for the program."
In his first and only regular season at UT Arlington, Dowell heads into the Sun Belt Conference Championships as the leading scorer in the league/23rd nationally at 20.2 points per game. He leads the Sun Belt in 3-pointers per game (3.3). Dowell has scored in double figures in 27 of 28 games and has hit the 20-point mark on 14 occasions.
"I came into the season hoping to win Player of the Year, but I gave my best effort," Dowell said. "To be on the first team with all the great players in this conference is a great honor."
Dowell's scoring average dipped below 20 points for the first time after 18 points against Georgia State (Feb. 27), but rose above 20 again after scoring a career-high 37 against WKU (March 1). The 37 points is tied for ninth all-time at UTA in a single game. The Oklahoma State transfer scored at least 20 points in the first seven games of his UTA career this season.
UTA hasn't had a player average at least 20 points for a season since Marquez Haynes (22.6) in 2009-10. Dowell currently has the fifth-highest single-season point total (565) in UTA history.
Edwards is 21st nationally and second in SBC in rebounding at 9.7 per game. His scoring average (16.5 ppg) is seventh in the SBC. He has a team-leading 13 double-doubles. He leads UTA in shooting percentage (51.7/8th in SBC), free throw percentage (80.2/7th SBC) and blocks (1.6/3rd SBC).
"It's great to be honored as one of the top players in the conference," Edwards said. "I still feel I have something to prove in the tournament this week."
Edwards began the season 16th on UTA's all-time rebounding list and is currently fourth (829). He passed his high school coach Steven Thomas and former teammate Jordan Reves during the course of the season. Edwards' 291 rebounds are currently the fourth most in a single season in UTA history.
Edwards, the reigning SBC Player of the Week, was named an all-Sun Belt pick for College Hoop Daily's players of the first three months of the season. CHB previously had Edwards on the all-SBC team for the non-conference season. He was on the preseason All-Sun Belt third team. He is the only UTA player to start every game this season.
Dowell, Edwards and the rest of the Mavericks face UL Monroe in the first round of the Sun Belt Championships on Thursday at 8:30 p.m. in New Orleans. Tickets for Sun Belt Championships are available at utatickets.com or by calling 817-272-9595.
All-Sun Belt Conference
First Team
Reger Dowell (UT Arlington, Sr., G)
R.J. Hunter (Georgia State, So., G)
Elfrid Payton (UL Lafayette, Jr., G)
Shawn Long (UL Lafayette, So., F)
Ryan Harrow (Georgia State, R-Jr., G)
Second Team
Augustine Rubit (South Alabama, Sr., F)
Manny Atkins (Georgia State, Sr., F)
Kirk Van Slyke (Arkansas State, Sr., F)
T.J. Price (WKU, Jr., G)
Will Neighbour (UALR, Sr., F)
Third Team
Brandon Edwards (UT Arlington, Sr., F)
Tylor Ongwae (UL Monroe, Jr., F)
George Fant (WKU, Jr., F)
Melvin Johnson III (Arkansas State, Sr., G)
Devonta White (Georgia State, Sr., G)
Player of the Year: RJ Hunter
Defensive Player of the Year: Elfrid Payton
Freshman of the Year: Chris Harrison-Docks
Coach of the Year: Ron Hunter
