NEW ORLEANS – All-Southland shooting guard Derek St. Hilaire was recognized again this morning, being named First-Team All-District by the National Basketball Coaches Association.
St. Hilaire has been one of the most explosive scorers in the country this season. The Atlanta native is averaging 20.3 points per game – second in the Southland and 15th in the NCAA this season.
The graduate student scored a career-high 34 points at HBU back in January, with another 30 against Northwestern State earlier that month. Derek scored 20 points or more in 17 of his 30 games so far this season and scored in double-figures 28 times this year.
Not just a threat on the offensive end, St. Hilaire is averaging 1.83 steals per game, the fifth best in the Southland.
During the Privateers’ nine-game winning streak earlier this year St. Hilaire averaged 25.1 points per game, hit 50% of his shots from the floor, including 40.3% from beyond the arc.
Derek has been named the Southland Player of the Week twice this year (Nov. 29 and Jan. 31), the Louisiana Sports Writer’s Association Player of the Month for November, and its Player of the Week twice (Jan. 24 and Jan. 31).
He was recently named the Allstate Sugar Bowl Amateur Athlete of the Month for January – the first men’s basketball student-athlete from UNO to earn the distinction since Erik Thomas in 2017.
Derek becomes the fifth Privateer to be named NABC All-District under Head Coach Mark Slessinger joining Erik Thomas (2016-2017), Ezekiel Charles (2017-18), Damion Rosser (2020-2021), and current teammate Troy Green (2020-2021).
HEAD COACH MARK SLESSINGER
“Once again we are so blessed to have a student-athlete like Derek in our program. He has been a joy to coach every day, and I could not be happier that his hard work this season was recognized by the NABC. He’s a great basketball player, but an even better young man. I’m so pleased for him and his family.”
SOCIAL MEDIA
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{Courtesy: release from UNO Athletics}