UL’s Gant named SBC Defensive Player of the Year again

LAFAYETTE — JaKeenan Gant is once again the Sun Belt Conference’s best defender.

The University of Louisiana senior was selected as the league’s Defensive Player of the Year on Monday — which is the second consecutive season Gant has claimed that honor. Gant is the first basketball player to earn that distinction in back-to-back seasons since Florida Atlantic’s Brett Royster (2010-11).

The selection of Gant also marks the third straight season, and fourth overall, that a Ragin’ Cajun star has been named SBC Defensive Player of the Year. Previous UL winners were point guard, and Gant’s high school teammate, Jay Wright (2017) and current New Orleans Pelicans star Elfrid Payton (2014).

Gant was also selected as an All-SBC first-team honoree on Monday — the only Ragin’ Cajun player to earn honors on any of the all-conference teams. Gant was also previously selected as the SBC Newcomer of the Year (2018).

The 6-foot-8 senior capped off the regular season ranked third in the Sun Belt in scoring (20.4 points), while leading the SBC in blocked shots (2.7) for the second straight year while also finishing second in the league in both rebounds (8.6) and field goal percentage (.541). 

Gant was even better during the Sun Belt slate of the team’s season as he averaged 23.1 points — third in the SBC — while finishing second in field goal percentage (.562) and leading the conference in rebounds (9.2) and blocked shots (2.2).

Gant, who tranferred to UL from Missouri of the SEC, recorded 15 games with 20 or more points this season, highlighted by a career-high 45 points in a victory over Little Rock back on Jan. 5. Gant also grabbed 10 or more rebounds in a dozen games during the regular season, with a career-best 17 boards coming at Texas State.

Georgia Southern’s Tookie Brown took top honors as he was named the Sun Belt Player of the Year .

UT Arlington’s Chris Ogden was selected as the Joe Gottfried Sun Belt Coach of the Year. 

ULM’s Daishon Smith was named the league’s Newcomer of the Year while DeVante Jones of Coastal Carolina earned Freshman of the Year honors.

Gant, Brown and Smith were joined on the All-Sun Belt first team by Georgia State’s D’Marcus Simonds, and Texas State’s Nijal Pearson.

The second team was highlighted by South Alabama’s Josh Ajayi, Arkansas State’s Ty Cockfield, Coastal Carolina’s Zac Cuthbertson, Appalachian State’s Ronshad Shabazz and Little Rock’s Rayjon Tucker.

 ULM’s Michael Ertel, Georgia Southern’s Quan Jackson, South Alabama’s Trhae Mitchell, Texas State’s Tre Nottingham and UTA’s Brian Warren were named to the third-team.

No. 5 seed UL will open play in the Sun Belt Conference Tournament on Thursday at New Orleans’ Lakefront Arena against the winner of USA and Arkansas State game.