Three LA Tech standouts earn C-USA Men’s Basketball postseason honors

RUSTON – Three members on the 2020-21 West Division champion Louisiana Tech Bulldogs earned Conference USA postseason awards, as announced by the league office on Monday.

Isaiah Crawford and Kenneth Lofton, Jr. were named Third Team All-Conference USA. Lofton, Jr. also earned All-Freshmen Honors and Cobe Williams was tabbed on the All-Defensive Team.

After having his freshman year cut short due to a season-ending knee injury, Crawford returned to make a huge impact for LA Tech as a sophomore.

The Fort Worth, Texas native anchored the Bulldogs in scoring with an average of 11.8 points per contest while shooting 49.3 percent from the field and a team-best 40.7 percent from beyond the arc.

He scored double-digit points 17 times (and in 12 of the 16 league games). His standout games included a 25-point effort at UTEP when he went 12-of-15 from the field and a career-high 27-point performance at North Texas.

The versatile forward also pulled down 132 rebounds (5.1 boards per games), recorded a team-high 17 blocks and tallied 21 steals.

Lofton, Jr. burst onto the scene on Dec. 6 when he recorded his first collegiate double-double with 17 points and 12 rebounds at LSU. He was inserted into the starting lineup the following game and started every one since.

He was voted as the C-USA Freshman of the Week nine times (out of 14), including six consecutive. He is averaging 11.2 points per game, recording 17 double-digit scoring outputs including in 11 of the last 12 contests. In doing so, he shot a 56.9 percent from the field. His two 20+ scoring performances came against UTEP (20 points) and UAB (career-high 21 points).

The Port Arthur, Texas native posted seven double-doubles, second most in C-USA. He became the first freshman Bulldog to lead the team in rebounding since Paul Millsap (2003-04), totaling 194 rebounds for an average of 7.5 boards per game.

Crawford and Lofton, Jr. join six other Bulldogs who have been voted All-Conference USA. LA Tech has had 13 all-conference selections since joining the league in 2013-14, the second most of any program during this stretch. Lofton, Jr. became just the seventh freshman to earn All-Conference USA honors since 2013-14. He is also the fourth Bulldog to be on the five-person All-Freshmen Team.

Williams anchored the top-rated defense in C-USA (ranked 35th in the country in adjusted defensive efficiency). The defense ranks first in the league and top 20 in the country in field goal percentage defense (40.0) and three-point field goal percentage defense (29.2).

The sophomore guard was one of two Bulldogs to start all 26 regular season games, recording 27 steals and a team-high 11 charges taken.

The Dallas, Texas native held every opposing guard, including North Texas’ Javion Hamlet, UTSA’s Jhivvan Jackson, UAB’s Michael Ertel and Marshall’s Jarrod West, to below their season average in scoring.

Williams is the sixth Bulldog to be named to the C-USA All-Defensive Team. LA Tech has had eight All-Defensive Team selections (six total players), the most of any program in the league since 2013-14.

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All-Conference First Team:
Jahmir Young, Charlotte
Taevion Kinsey, Marshall
Javion Hamlet, North Texas
Jhivvan Jackson, UTSA
Charles Bassey, WKU

All-Conference Second Team:
Jarrod West, Marshall
Malik Curry, Old Dominion
Tavin Lovan, UAB
Keaton Wallace, UTSA
Taveion Hollingsworth, WKU

All-Conference Third Team:
Isaiah Crawford, LA Tech
Kenneth Lofton, Jr., LA Tech
Quincy Olivari, Rice
Souley Boum, UTEP
Bryson Williams, UTEP

All-Freshman Team:
Kenneth Lofton, Jr., LA Tech
Rubin Jones, North Texas
Jaron Pierre, Jr., Southern Miss
Jordan Ivy-Curry, UTSA
Dayvion McKnight, WKU

All-Defensive Team:
Jarrod West, Marshall
Cobe Williams, LA Tech
Quan Jackson, UAB
Trey Jemison, UAB
Charles Bassey, WKU
Josh Anderson, WKU