JONESBORO, Ark. (3/9/10) - Arkansas State men's basketball coach John Brady was named the US Basketball Writers Association District VII Coach of the Year after leading the Red Wolves to a 17-14 record, while freshman guard and leading scorer Brandon Reed was named to the All-District team.

The awards are based on voting from the USBWA national memberships. There are nine regions from coast to coast with each naming a Player and Coach of the Year as well as an All-District team.

Brady, in his second year at the helm of the ASU program, helped lead the Red Wolves to an 11-7 conference mark this season, which is the best league mark since the 2006-07 season. Their 11 wins this season marks only the seventh time since ASU joined the league that they have posted double-digit conference wins in a single season.

In postseason play, ASU advanced to the quarterfinal round of the Sun Belt Tournament for the first time since the 2006-07, season defeating in-state rival UALR in opening-round action.  

Reed, the Sun Belt's Freshman of the Year led ASU with a 15.1 scoring average and 469 total points to become the Red Wolves top-scoring freshman of all-time surpassing Jerry Rook who set the previous mark during the 1961-62 season of 416 points.

Reed led the Red Wolves in scoring a team-high 14 times this season, including scoring a career-high 34 points at home against Denver, and put up 30 against Western Kentucky at the Convocation Center.

Sun Belt Player of the Year Tyren Johnson of Louisiana-Lafayette is the only other player in the league to be named to a USBWA All-District team.

USBWA DISTRICT VII
TX, AR, LA

PLAYER OF THE YEAR Damion James, Texas

COACH OF THE YEAR John Brady, Arkansas State

ALL-DISTRICT TEAM Rotnei Clarke, Arkansas

Gilberto Clavell, Sam Houston State
Randy Culpepper, UTEP
Damion James, Texas
Tyren Johnson, Louisiana Lafayette
Tasmin Mitchell, LSU
Bradon Reed, Arkansas State
Mike Singletary, Texas Tech
Donald Sloan, Texas A&M
Ekpe Udoh, Baylor