With an average of 18.2 points per game, Ovie Soko took home the Atlantic 10 scoring title for the 2013-2014 season. I’m sure anyone could get guess where that landed him when the all-conference teams were announced in mid-March. That was sarcasm, if you guessed first team all-conference, you’re wrong. Second team? Guess again. Even though he scored more points than anyone else in the conference all season, while averaging almost 8 rebounds to boot, Ovie Soko earned himself a place on the third team.
Here is the list of the three all-conference teams, announced earlier in March:
All-A10 first team:
• Jordair Jett, G, Saint Louis — A10 player of the year (13.8 ppg, 4.7 apg, 3.9 rpg)
• Chaz Williams, G, UMass (15.8 ppg, 7.1 apg)
• Langston Galloway, G, Saint Joseph’s (17.0 ppg, 4.5 rpg)
• Treveon Graham, G, VCU (15.6 ppg, 7.1 apg)
• Dwayne Evans, F, Saint Louis (14.0 ppg, 6.4 rpg)
All-A10 second team:
• Isaiah Armwood, F, George Washington (12.3 ppg, 8.7 rpg)
• Tyreek Duren, G, La Salle (15.2 ppg, 3.2 rpg, 3.2 apg)
• Kendall Anthony, G, Richmond (16.0 ppg)
• Halil Kanecevic, F, Saint Joseph’s (10.3 ppg, 8.3 rpg, 4.4 apg)
• Juvonte Reddic, F, VCU (12.5 ppg, 8.5 rpg)
All-A10 third team:
• Devin Oliver, F, Dayton (12.0 ppg, 7.4 rpg)
• Ovie Soko, F, Duquesne (18.2 ppg, 7.8 rpg)
• Maurice Creek, G, George Washington (14.6 ppg, 3.3 rpg)
• Patricio Garino, F, George Washington (12.4 ppg, 4.4 rpg)
• Ronald Roberts, Jr., F, St. Joseph’s (14.6 ppg, 7.2 rpg)
Of the four forwards chosen above Soko, notice that neither of them averaged over 15 points per game, so they were nowhere near as effective as Soko was in the points column. One possible justification for the selection committee could be the fact that the Atlantic 10 was a very guard-heavy conference this year, and they felt that the backcourt players had more of an impact in games. This can also explain why there was only one forward (Dwayne Evans) chosen on the first team. Most all-conference teams are balanced, meaning they usually contain at least two forwards, but that can be laid to rest.
Can Soko’s under-representation with the selection committee lie in his team underperforming relative to the rest of the conference? After all, Duquesne finished three spots out of last place in the conference, ahead of only Fordham, George Mason and Rhode Island. Interestingly, no players from these teams made it on the any of the above lists, although there were worthy players from the bottom-barrel teams. Chief among these players is Fordham’s Jon Severe, a highly talented freshman who averaged 17.6 points per game for the Rams this season. Severe provided a spark for a rebuilding Fordham team with his athleticism and keen shooting. Matthew Wright of Saint Bonaventure is another one who was likely disappointed by the announcement. Wright torched Duquesne back in February, with 22 points. He was also instrumental in his team’s conference tournament upset over Saint Louis, where he also had 22.
But interestingly enough, every single player who made the first or second team came from a traditional conference powerhouse school, aside from LaSalle’s Tyreek Duren and GW’s Isaiah Armwood. Saint Joe’s, Saint Louis and VCU have been mainstay powers in the conference before, and it seems like players from these teams got all the love. Granted, many of these players deserve what they got – Jordair Jett, Langston Galloway and Chaz Williams are absolute studs, and to give them any less than first team would have been ludicrous. But at the same time, it would have been nice to see the selection committee balance the first team a little bit, and it is still mind-blowing that the conference’s leading scorer only made third team. Duquesne’s season wasn’t great, but they did make a splash in the conference this season. Soko’s certainly made as big an impact on his team (8-22 the season before) as any player selected before him on a higher all-conference team.
Photo Credit: Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
