BIRMINGHAM, Ala. - James Kelly came to Marshall University just wanting to play.
Kelly didn't play as much as he liked at the University of Miami so he joined the Thundering Herd men's basketball program as an NCAA Division I transfer and sat out the 2014-15 season to become eligible with one year left on his clock.
His opportunity came this season and he made the most of it.
Kelly was named Monday to the five-player All-Conference USA first team in voting conducted among the league's head coaches and selected media representatives from each city.
"To say James had a great year is an understatement," Marshall head coach Dan D"Antoni said in a HerdZone,.com release. "He helped lead the turnaround of this team. Congratulations to him."
The Ann Arbor, Mich,., native was the first Marshall player picked for the all-conference first team in 11 seasons as a member, and its 12th overall selection,
Marshall's second-team All-C-USA choices were Hassan Whiteside and Tyler Wilkerson in 2010 and Dre Kane in 2012 and 2013. The Herd's All-C-USA third-team picks were Mark Patton (2006), Markel Humphrey (2007, 2008, 2009), Kane (2011), Damier Pitts (2012), Kareem Canty (2014) and Ryan Taylor (2015).
Kelly leads Marshall (16-15 overall, 12-6 conference) into the C-USA tournament in Legacy Arena as the No. 3 seed its highest finish ever. The 12 conference wins are a C-USA high for the program. Marshall was predicted for a ninth-place finish coming off last season's 11-21 and 7-11 records.
Marshall arrives at the tournament Tuesday to make final preparations for a 9:30 p.m. Thursday game in the quarterfinal round against the winner of a 9:30 p.m. Wednesday contest between No. 6 UTEP and No. 11 FIU. In the regular season UTEP won at home against Marshall, 112-108. Marshall won its home game with FIU, 99-81.
Kelly, an athletic 6-foot-8, 259-pound senior forward is the only player ranked among the top three in C-USA for scoring average (20.8) and rebounds per game (9.8). His 14 double-double (points-rebounds) games is second-most in the conference.
He hit 54.7 percent of his shots (10th in C-USA), is a 30.3 percent 3-point shooter and ranks 15th in the league as a 75.6 percent free throw shooter. He also leads the Herd with 35 blocked shots and 44 steals.
With one-season totals of 639 points and 307 rebounds going into the tournament he is only the second member of Marshall's 600/300 club. All-American Russell Lee reached those numbers in the 1970-71 and 1971-72 seasons.
His game with 27 points and 23 rebounds against the Charlotte 49ers was the first Marshall 20/20 performance in 43 years.
He averages 9.1 defensive rebounds a game, which ranked ninth in the nation Monday.
Kelly was joined on the first team by conference regular-season scoring leader Trey Freeman of Old Dominion, a junior guard averaging 21.6 a game; Louisiana Tech senior guard Alex Hamilton; Rice freshman guard Marcus Evans; and UAB senior guard Robert Brown.
Freeman was a repeat first team selection while Hamilton moved up from last season's second team.
Conference awards being announced Tuesday are All-Freshman Team, All-Defensive Team, Freshman of the Year, Defensive Player of the Year, Newcomer of the Year and Sixth Man of the Year.
Player of the Year and Coach of the Year award winners are announced Wednesday.
Kelly didn't play as much as he liked at the University of Miami so he joined the Thundering Herd men's basketball program as an NCAA Division I transfer and sat out the 2014-15 season to become eligible with one year left on his clock.
His opportunity came this season and he made the most of it.
Kelly was named Monday to the five-player All-Conference USA first team in voting conducted among the league's head coaches and selected media representatives from each city.
"To say James had a great year is an understatement," Marshall head coach Dan D"Antoni said in a HerdZone,.com release. "He helped lead the turnaround of this team. Congratulations to him."
The Ann Arbor, Mich,., native was the first Marshall player picked for the all-conference first team in 11 seasons as a member, and its 12th overall selection,
Marshall's second-team All-C-USA choices were Hassan Whiteside and Tyler Wilkerson in 2010 and Dre Kane in 2012 and 2013. The Herd's All-C-USA third-team picks were Mark Patton (2006), Markel Humphrey (2007, 2008, 2009), Kane (2011), Damier Pitts (2012), Kareem Canty (2014) and Ryan Taylor (2015).
Kelly leads Marshall (16-15 overall, 12-6 conference) into the C-USA tournament in Legacy Arena as the No. 3 seed its highest finish ever. The 12 conference wins are a C-USA high for the program. Marshall was predicted for a ninth-place finish coming off last season's 11-21 and 7-11 records.
Marshall arrives at the tournament Tuesday to make final preparations for a 9:30 p.m. Thursday game in the quarterfinal round against the winner of a 9:30 p.m. Wednesday contest between No. 6 UTEP and No. 11 FIU. In the regular season UTEP won at home against Marshall, 112-108. Marshall won its home game with FIU, 99-81.
Kelly, an athletic 6-foot-8, 259-pound senior forward is the only player ranked among the top three in C-USA for scoring average (20.8) and rebounds per game (9.8). His 14 double-double (points-rebounds) games is second-most in the conference.
He hit 54.7 percent of his shots (10th in C-USA), is a 30.3 percent 3-point shooter and ranks 15th in the league as a 75.6 percent free throw shooter. He also leads the Herd with 35 blocked shots and 44 steals.
With one-season totals of 639 points and 307 rebounds going into the tournament he is only the second member of Marshall's 600/300 club. All-American Russell Lee reached those numbers in the 1970-71 and 1971-72 seasons.
His game with 27 points and 23 rebounds against the Charlotte 49ers was the first Marshall 20/20 performance in 43 years.
He averages 9.1 defensive rebounds a game, which ranked ninth in the nation Monday.
Kelly was joined on the first team by conference regular-season scoring leader Trey Freeman of Old Dominion, a junior guard averaging 21.6 a game; Louisiana Tech senior guard Alex Hamilton; Rice freshman guard Marcus Evans; and UAB senior guard Robert Brown.
Freeman was a repeat first team selection while Hamilton moved up from last season's second team.
Conference awards being announced Tuesday are All-Freshman Team, All-Defensive Team, Freshman of the Year, Defensive Player of the Year, Newcomer of the Year and Sixth Man of the Year.
Player of the Year and Coach of the Year award winners are announced Wednesday.
