Rookie Head Coach Leads Sam Houston to First Conference USA Title; Three Bearkats Earn All-CUSA Honors
Press Release from GoBearkats.com
DALLAS — After guiding Sam Houston to its first Conference USA regular season championship, rookie head coach Chris Mudge was voted as the league’s best coach for the 2023-24 season.
Mudge was named Coach of the Year and three Bearkats earned All-CUSA honors, the conference announced on Monday. Lamar Wilkerson was named to the first team, Davon Barnes second team and Cameron Huefner was honorable mention.
Mudge’s selection as Coach of the Year comes after the Kats took home the outright regular season title with a 13-3 league record. He led the Bearkats to its second straight 20-win season (20-11) and second consecutive No. 1 seeding the in the conference tournament.
Turning to the all-conference teams, Wilkerson leads the way for Sam Houston after being selected All-CUSA first team. The junior guard averaged a team-high 13.9 points and 3.6 rebounds per game and has been the focal point of the Kats offense.
Wilkerson started conference play scoring 20 points four straight times and nailed seven straight 3-pointers in Sam Houston’s win at New Mexico State.
With the selection of Wilkerson to the first team, Sam Houston has had a player named to an all-conference first team for seven consecutive seasons.
Wilkerson’s counterpart wasn’t too far behind either, as Barnes was named to the second team in his first season with the Bearkats. He has been one of the best scorers in the league, averaging 13.6 points and 3.5 rebounds per game.
Huefner was tabbed as an honorable mention selection after being selected to the preseason All-CUSA squad. The second-year player for Sam Houston has averaged 7.7 points and 3.0 rebounds per game off the bench and has been vital to the Kats offensive success this season.
Huefner has scored in double figures six times this season, including a season high 18 points in Sam Houston’s road win at Western Kentucky.
