Alabama A&M’s Gladness named Defensive Player of the Year

The Southwestern Athletic Conference announced its men’s basketball all-conference honors for the 2007-2008 season. In a poll conducted by the conference office in which votes were received from the league’s head coaches and sports information directors.

Hayles – a 6-foot-5, 190-pound, junior from Mobile – was a key component in the Hornets’ run to a regular-season title. In 28 games, he averaged 14.8 points, 3.8 rebounds, 1.8 assists and 1.2 steals per game. He had five games with at least 20 points scored – including 28 against Grambling State and 26 points at Miami (FL). He was fifth in the league in scoring, eighth in field goal percentage (45.2%), fifth in free throw shooting (75.0%) and third in 3-point shooting (39.1%).

Gladness was named the defensive player of the year selection for the second consecutive season. A 6-foot-11, 205-pound, senior from Sylacauga , Alabama , he led the conference and was second in the nation in blocks averaging 4.6 blocked shots per game. He also averaged 9.9 points, 8.7 rebounds and 0.9 assists per game. He had a triple-double with 13 points, 13 rebounds and 10 blocks against Oakwood. He had 19 points twice and had 12 points, five blocks and 19 rebounds against Southern.

The conference Newcomer of the Year is Larry Cox of Mississippi Valley State . Cox (6-10, 225, Rome , Georgia ) came on strong in the second half of the season becoming one of the more athletic players in the conference. He finished the regular season averaging 12.8 points, 8.5 rebounds and 2.3 blocks per game. He posted a 16-point, 17-rebound, two-block effort against Southern while registering 21 points and ten rebounds against Texas Southern.

The 2008 SWAC Freshman of the Year is Barry Honore’ of Southern. In 29 games played, the 6-foot-7, 230-pound forward from Garland , Texas averaged 8.5 points and 5.0 rebounds per game. He had nine games with at least ten points scored including a 21-point, 12-rebound, four-assist contest against Paul Quinn.

Joining Gladness and Hayles on the first-team are Alabama A&M guard Trant Simpson, preseason player of the year William Byrd of Arkansas-Pine Bluff and Jackson State forward Grant Maxey.

Joining Cox on second team were guards Brandon Brooks ( Alabama State and Chris Davis (Southern) along with forwards Anthony Williams ( Grambling State) and Carl Lucas ( Mississippi Valley State ).