Townes Named to Coaches Pre-Season All-SEC Team

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. – Arkansas junior forward/center Darian Townes has been named to the pre-season All-Southeastern Conference team released by the league office on Monday.

Townes is on the second team.

The 6-10, 254-pound native of Alexandria, Va., averaged 9.5 points, 5.1 rebounds and 1.63 blocked shots as a sophomore, helping the Razorbacks go 22-10, tie for second in the Western Division and earn a spot in the NCAA Tournament.

Townes was fourth on the team in scoring, 20th in the SEC in rebounding, seventh in the conference in blocked shots and he was second on the team with a .500 field goal percentage (126-252).

In 16 home games, he averaged 10.6 points, 6.3 rebounds and 2.2 blocked shots with a .539 shooting percentage. In 15 games against post-season tournament teams, he averaged 10.5 points, 4.9 rebounds and 1.1 blocked shots.

“Darian has had a really good fall,” head coach Stan Heath says. “Last year he probably relied on his turnaround shot a little too much, but he’s worked hard at adding other elements to his game.”

In Friday’s Red-White Game, Townes had 21 points and game highs of 16 rebounds and six blocked shots.

A member of the SEC’s All-Freshman team in 2005, he was listed on several pre-season All-SEC squads last year.

An honorable mention freshman All-American by Rivals.com, he averaged 10.2 points, 4.6 rebounds and 1.6 blocked shots in 2005. He was second on the team in scoring, rebounding, field goal percentage (.519), free throw percentage (.698) and blocked shots.

For his career, Townes is averaging 9.8 points, 4.9 rebounds and 1.6 blocked shots with a .509 shooting percentage (248-487).

The first team includes junior forward Corey Brewer, junior forward/center Al Horford and junior forward/center Joakim Noah of Florida; senior forward Jermareo Davidson and junior guard Ronald Steele of Alabama, junior forward Glen Davis of LSU, junior guard Chris Lofton of Tennessee and junior guard/forward Shan Foster of Vanderbilt.

Joining Townes on the second team are sophomore forward Richard Hendrix of Alabama, junior guard Taurean Green of Florida, sophomore guard Mike Mercer of Georgia, junior center Randolph Morris of Kentucky, sophomore forward Tasmin Mitchell of LSU, senior guard Tre’ Kelley of South Carolina, and sophomore guard Jamont Gordon and junior forward/center Charles Rhodes of Mississippi State.