BIRMINGHAM, Ala. — Marshall’s Conference USA awards haul officially stopped at two Wednesday, as top scorer James Kelly and coach Dan D’Antoni were beaten out for the league’s two top honors.
Louisiana Tech point guard Alex Hamilton was named the league’s Player of the Year. Jerod Haase, who guided Alabama-Birmingham to the regular-season title by a three-game cushion, was named the Gene Bartow Coach of the Year.
The award is named after the legend who launched the UAB athletic program in 1978 and was the school’s first athletic director and basketball coach.
In Haase’s fourth season, the Blazers are 26-5 overall and 16-2 in the league.