LSU’s Thomas continues to fill it up with two of state’s top honors on 2020-21 All-Louisiana team; Watford, Smart, Days also honored

LSU freshman guard Cameron Thomas led the Tigers in scoring with a 22.6 average during the season, a mark that also made him the nation's highest-scoring player among freshmen. He was voted the Most Valuable Player and Freshman of the Year on the 2020-21 LSWA All-Louisiana basketball team. Photo courtesy of LSU athletics.

Freshman Cam Thomas led a trio of LSU Tigers on the first team as the 2020-21 Louisiana Sports Writers Association Men’s College Basketball Team was announced on Tuesday.  

The 18-member team was selected after nominations by the state’s sports information directors and voted on by a panel of the state SIDs and media members. 

Thomas claimed a pair of specialty honors, becoming the first player since former LSU standout Ben Simmons to claim both Player of the Year and Freshman of the Year honors. UL-Louisiana’s junior Theo Akwuba was selected Newcomer of the Year, while Eric Konkol of Louisiana Tech is the Coach of the Year for the second consecutive season. 

Thomas led both LSU and all NCAA Division I freshmen in scoring with a 22.6 average while being named first-team All-SEC. The USA Today second team All-American posted the fourth-highest scoring average by a first-year player in school history following Pete Maravich (1968), Mahmoud Abdul-Rauf (1989) and Bob Pettit (1952).  

The Chesapeake, Va., native averaged 23.1 points per game in SEC play and had 21 games with 20 or more points – the most of any LSU player since Shaquille O’Neal in 1992. Thomas’ 16 games with 25-plus points were the most by any SEC freshman in the One-and-Done era (since 2006) and he converted on 88 percent of his free throws (176-for-200), including a school-record 42 consecutive makes. 

Akwuba finished among the national leaders in blocked shots, rebounds per game and double-doubles. The 6-foot-11 post player averaged 11.3 points, 9.3 rebounds and 2.6 blocks in being named the Sun Belt Conference Defensive Player of the Year. 

The second-team All-SBC selection debuted for the Ragin’ Cajuns with 22 points on a 9-for-9 performance from the floor against eventual national champion Baylor. He converted 64 percent of his field goal attempts and was a 71-percent shooter (66-for-93) from the free throw line.   

Konkol guided Louisiana Tech to a 24-8 overall record, the Conference USA West Division title and a berth in the National Invitation Tournament. Playing the second-toughest league schedule per KenPom.com, Konkol earned C-USA Coach of the Year honors and was the NABC District 11 Coach of the Year.  

He became the first coach in program history to lead his team to five 20-win seasons while the Bulldogs were only one of five teams nationally to record 15 victories at home during the 2020-21 season. His team was rated No. 1 in C-USA and 39th in the country in adjusted defensive efficiency. 

Joining Thomas on the first team were teammates Javonte Smart and Trendon Watford – the 2020 LSWA Freshman of the Year – plus UL-Lafayette’s Cedric Russell and LSU-Shreveport guard Kadavion Evans.  

Akwuba was joined on the second team by a pair of newcomers – Tulane’s Jaylen Forbes and Ty Gordon of Nicholls – along with Louisiana Tech freshman Kenneth Lofton, Jr., and Rayshawn Mart of Xavier. 

LSU’s Darius Days and New Orleans’ Damion Rosser were joined on the third-team by Kae’Ron Baker of Louisiana College, Zach Wrightsil of Loyola and LSU-Eunice’s Jonathan Cisse.  

Player of the Year: Cameron Thomas, LSU 

Newcomer of the Year: Theo Akwuba, Louisiana 

Freshman of the Year: Cameron Thomas, LSU 

Coach of the Year: Eric Konkol, Louisiana Tech 

First-Team 

Kadavion Evans, LSU-Shreveport – 19.1 ppg, 6.4 rpg, 4.1 apg, First-Team NAIA All-America 

Cedric Russell, Louisiana – 17.2 ppg, 3.2 rpg, 1.2 apg, First-Team All-Sun Belt 

Javonte Smart, LSU – 15.9 ppg, 3.6 rpg, 4.0 apg, Second-Team All-SEC 

Cameron Thomas, LSU – 22.6 ppg, 3.4 rpg, 1.4 apg, First-Team All-SEC  

Trendon Watford, LSU – 16.7 ppg, 7.4 rpg, 3.0 apg, First-Team All-SEC 

Second-Team 

Theo Akwuba, Louisiana – 11.3 ppg, 9.3 rpg, 2.6 bpg, SBC Defensive Player of the Year 

Jaylen Forbes, Tulane – 16.4 ppg, 5.3 rpg, 1.0 apg, Third-Team All-AAC 

Ty Gordon, Nicholls – 14.6 ppg, 3.6 rpg, 3.7 apg, First-Team All-Southland 

Kenneth Lofton, Jr., Louisiana Tech – 11.0 ppg; 7.3 rpg, C-USA Freshman of the Year 

Rayshawn Mart, Xavier – 22.3 ppg, 7.0 rpg, 2.1 apg, First-Team NAIA All-America 

Third-Team 

Kae’Ron Baker, Louisiana College – 22.7 ppg, 3.8 rpg, 3.4 apg, First-Team All-ASC 

Jonathan Cisse, LSU-Eunice – 21.8 ppg, 4.3 apg, 2.1 spg, First-Team All-LCCAC 

Darius Days, LSU – 11.7 ppg, 7.9 rpg 

Damion Rosser, New Orleans – 15.7 ppg, 7.4 rpg, 3.2 apg, Second-Team All-Southland 

Zach Wrightsil, Loyola – 17 ppg, 9.7 rpg, 3.8 apg, Second-Team NAIA All-America 

Honorable Mention: Malik Amos, Dillard; Isaiah Crawford, Louisiana Tech; Seth Thomas, Centenary. 

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