GCAC announces preseason all-conference team for 2020-21

NEW ORLEANS, La. – The Gulf Coast Athletic Conference released its Preseason All-GCAC Team as voted on by the league’s seven head coaches on Tuesday afternoon with Talladega’s Darryl Baker earning Preseason Conference Player of the Year.

Rounding out the team is Xavier’s Rayshawn Mart, Dillard’s Malik Amos, Philander Smith’s Dejalin Austin and Edward Waters’ Maurice Johnson.

The fact that five of the seven teams were represented on the squad with no more than one player per program speaks to the depth and diversity that the GCAC presents from top-to-bottom in the league.

Baker, a senior guard from Jeffersonville, Indiana, was an NAIA All-American Honorable Mention after lighting up the GCAC to the tune of 16 points per game while knocking down an eye-popping 48-percent of three-pointers and 93-percent of his free throws.

Mart, a senior guard from Houma, Louisiana, he also was an NAIA All-American Honorable Mention as well as an All-GCAC First Teamer, GCAC All-Defensive Teamer, GCAC All-Tournament Teamer and was named conference player of the week twice. He became the first Gold Rush player to ever eclipse 500 points, 150 rebounds, 25 three-pointers, 70 assists, 50 steals, shoot 50-percent from the floor and 70-percent from the free throw line in program history.

Amos, a senior guard from Missouri City, Texas, racked up the honors as he was GCAC Co-Player of the Year, Second Team NAIA All-American, All-GCAC First Team, Second Team All-Louisiana and 2020 Basketball Times Preseason All-American. Last season he ranked 16th in the nation in points per game, leading the conference in the process, to go along with placing second in the country in free-throw percentage.

Austin, a senior guard from Memphis, Tennessee, averaged 16.9 points, 4.6 boards, 2.9 assists and 2.4 steals over 29 starts for the Panthers in 2019-2020. He drained 155 field goals with a .380 percentage and 40 triples.

Johnson, a senior forward from Birmingham, Alabama, contributed six double-doubles plus the eighth-most blocks (19) in the GCAC a year ago. The 6-foot-7 former Gadsden State CC transfer dropped 16.27 points per contest, swished 40.9-percent of his shots behind the arc and 70.5-percent of his opportunities from the charity stripe.

GCAC Preseason Player of the Year: Darryl Baker (Talladega)

Preseason All-GCAC Team

Player, Team
Darryl Baker, Talladega
Rayshawn Mart, Xavier (La.)
Malik Amos, Dillard
Dejalin Austin, Philander Smith
Maurice Johnson, Edward Waters

Others receiving votes: Jordan Jackson (Rust), Rahjan Billingsley (Dillard), Makye Richard (Xavier), Akeem Oglesby (Dillard), Jeremiah August (Dillard), Robert Jordan (Philander Smith), Datavian Porter (Tougaloo)