BIRMINGHAM, Ala. | Grambling State University sophomore guard Ivy Smith, Jr., and senior forward Shirmane Thomas were selected to the All-Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC) Men's Basketball teams, while Donte' Jackson earned SWAC Coach of the Year honors, the conference announced on Monday.
 
Smith was selected to the All-SWAC First Team, while Thomas was named to the All-SWAC Second Team.
 
Jackson guided the Tigers to one of the best seasons as an NCAA Division I program with a 17-14 overall record and an outright SWAC regular season championship. It was Grambling State's first SWAC regular season title in 30 years (1988-89) and first winning season since the 2005-06 season.
 
Jackson, in just his first season, guided the Tigers to a signature road victory on Dec. 1 with a 64-63 win over Georgia Tech, and brought attention to the Grambling State program with a school-record 11 game winning streak, which stretch from Jan. 8 to Feb. 17. During the streak, the Tigers swept Texas Southern, which last happened during the 2005-06 season.
 
Smith, who earned the SWAC Player of the Week honor three times this season, scored in double figures in 27 of the Tigers' 31 games. He scored 31 points in a home win over Tougaloo on Dec. 4 but topped that with a career-high 32 points in an overtime victory over Alabama A&M, which clinch the SWAC regular season title.
 
The Tacoma, Wash. native averaged 35.1 minutes and played all 40 minutes at Prairie View A&M on Feb. 10, and all but one minute in the overtime victory over Alabama A&M. He led the team in averaging 16.7 points, 5.0 assists, 4.5 rebounds and 2.2 steals. Also, Smith shot 80.5 percent (194-of-241) from the free-throw line.
 
Smith ranked first in the conference and sixth nationally in free-throw attempts and free-throws made. He also finished second in the conference and 21st nationally in steals per game, while being ranked second in the conference and 14th in NCAA Division I in total steals.
 
Thomas, who earned the SWAC Player of the Week on Jan. 16, reached double figures in scoring 17 times, including a career-high 27 points in a home victory over Texas Southern. The Homer, La. native nearly topped that mark on Feb. 10 at Prairie View A&M with 26 points.
 
Thomas averaged 10.5 points, 4.6 boards, 1.6 assists and 1.0 steals in 28.2 minutes. He shot 75.0 percent (69-of-92) from the free-throw line and 40.4 percent (105-of-260) from the floor.
 
 

2017-18 All-SWAC Honors
Player of the Year: Martaveous McKnight, Arkansas-Pine Bluff
Defensive Player of the Year: Trent Steen, Arkansas-Pine Bluff
Newcomer of the Year: Martaveous McKnight, Arkansas-Pine Bluff
Freshman of the Year: Jacoby Ross, Alabama State
Coach of the Year: Donte' Jackson, Grambling State
All-SWAC First Team
Guard	Martaveous McKnight	Arkansas-Pine Bluff
Guard	Ivy Smith, Jr.	Grambling State
Forward	Zachary Hamilton	Prairie View A&M
Forward	Dante Scott	Mississippi Valley State
Center	Jared Sam	Southern
All-SWAC Second Team
Guard	Gary Blackston	Prairie View A&M
Guard	A.J. Mosby	Alcorn State
Forward	Trent Steen	Arkansas-Pine Bluff
Forward	Shirmane Thomas	Grambling State
Center	J.D. Wallace	Prairie View A&M

 
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