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Marquez Haynes named Southland Conference’s Player of the Year

Written by Clint Utley, The Shorthorn sports editor

Tuesday, 09 March 2010 09:53 PM

Senior guard Marquez Haynes dunks during the Mavericks’ 75-71 victory over Lamar at Texas Hall. Haynes broke UTA’s single season scoring record of 599 points, previously held by Sam Norton during the ’83-’84 season, with 605 points. (The Shorthorn: Andrew Buckley)

For all the points he’s scored this season, senior guard Marquez Haynes got a little more recognition on Tuesday.

Haynes was named the Southland Conference Player of the Year by a combined vote of the conference’s men’s basketball coaches and sports information directors.

Haynes is the second UT Arlington player and the first since Albert Culton received the honor in 1982. Haynes originally thought Athletics Director Pete Carlon was joking when he told him of the award.

“Earlier in the week, the team told me Clavell won it,” Haynes said. “But what they saw was some newspaper wrote who they thought was going to win it. So when he told me, I was like ‘No, I didn’t.’”

Haynes ranks third in the nation and leads the SLC, averaging 22.8 points per game. His 661 points this season are a school record.

The Southland Conference had many players vying for the award this season. Head coach Scott Cross said there were at least five players in the running for the award, including Texas A&M-Corpus Christi’s senior guard Kevin Palmer, Sam Houston State’s junior forward Gilberto Clavell and senior guard Corey Allmond.

But Cross said Haynes’ numbers speak for themselves.

“It was going to be close,” he said. “If you look at it from statistical performance, what one player meant to the team, he definitely deserves it.”

Senior forward Tommy Moffitt, who played with Haynes at Irving High School, said his teammate deserves any award given to him.

“He’s got the numbers,” Moffitt said. “He came to play every game. I think he’s the best guard in the conference. Probably the best player in the conference.”

Haynes’ lowest scoring output this season was 12 points at McNeese State in February. He shot 41.9 percent from 3-point range this season and averaged 4.3 rebounds per game.

Haynes was quick to say the award wouldn’t have been possible without his teammates and that he respects the award.

“It’s a great honor,” he said.

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