Lofton, Jr. named 2020-21 Kyle Macy Award finalist

RUSTON – Louisiana Tech’s Kenneth Lofton, Jr. was named as one of 30 finalists for the Kyle Macy National Freshman of the Year Award.

The forward was recently named Conference USA Freshman of the Year as well as Third Team All-Conference USA and a member of the All-Freshman Team.

Lofton, Jr. was a consistent force for the Bulldogs in his first collegiate year, being named C-USA Freshman of the Week nine times (out of 14 weeks).

He is averaging 11.2 points per game, having registered 17 double-digit scoring games, while shooting 56.9 percent from the field.

The Port Arthur, Texas native also totaled 194 rebounds for a team-high 7.5 boards per game, becoming the first Bulldog freshman to lead the squad in rebounding since Paul Millsap (2003-04). He posted seven double-doubles, second most in C-USA and fifth most of any freshman in the country.

Lofton, Jr. became a household name on Dec. 6 when he recorded his first collegiate double-double with 17 points and 12 rebounds at LSU (had the double-double by halftime). He started the following game against Southeastern Louisiana and has all 22 games since.

He really started to play bully ball during conference play. Over the last 11 league games, he averaged 14.3 points and 9.2 rebounds per game. Among those games was a 20-point, 13-rebound performance at UTEP.

At North Texas, Junior posted 14 points, 10 rebounds in game one and then nine points and a career-high 14 rebounds in game two. Then in game one against UAB, he registered a career-high 21 points to go along with 12 boards.

Lofton, Jr., who was also named Third Team All-Conference USA and a member of the five-person All-Freshman Team, is one of only five freshmen in the country averaging at least 11 points, seven rebounds and shooting 55 percent from the field.

The Kyle Macy Award, which is presented annually to the top freshman in Division I college basketball, is named for a guard who starred as a freshman for Purdue.

The recipient of the 2021 award will be announced on April 1, 2021.

KYLE MACY FRESHMEN ALL-AMERICA TEAM
Efe Abogidi, Washington State
Greg Brown, Texas
Johni Broome, Morehead State
Sharife Coope, Auburn
Cade Cunningham, Oklahoma State
Hunter Dickinson, Michigan
Zach Edey, Purdue
Dawson Garcia, Marquette
Wendell Green Jr., Eastern Kentucky
Rayshon Harrison, Presbyterian
Tyree Ihenacho, North Dakota
Chase Johnston, Stetson
Dillon Jones, Weber State
Nelly Junior Joseph, Iona
Caleb Lohner, BYU
Kenneth Lofton, Jr., Louisiana Tech
Tramon Mark, Houston
Evan Mobley, USC
Bryce Monroe, Sam Houston
Damari Monsanto, ETSU
Moses Moody, Arkansas
Essam Mostafa, Coastal Carolina
Norchand Omier, Arkansas State
Ryan Rollins, Toledo
Jalen Suggs, Gonzaga
Jahmyl Telfort, Northeastern
Cam Thomas, LSU
Marques Warrick, Northern Kentucky
Marcus Williams, Wyoming
Jalen Wilson, Kansas