The University of Mississippi Athletics
Barnes, Hicks Selected to SEC All-Star Team
6/21/1999 | Men's Basketball
June 16, 1999
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. - Ole Miss head coach Rod Barnes and senior forward Marcus Hicks have been selected to join the Southeastern Conference men's basketball all-star team which will travel to Japan Aug. 5-15 to compete against the Japanese National Team, it was announced on Wednesday by SEC Commissioner Roy Kramer.
The SEC All-Star Team, which features one player from each of the 12 league schools, is comprised of quality young players who are expected to make an impact in the conference during the 1999-2000 season. Barnes and LSU's John Brady will serve as the squad's co-head coaches. Jeff Moore of the Ole Miss sports medicine staff will serve as the team's trainer.
The SEC All-Stars will play five games under international rules in the "Basketball Universiade Anniversary Cup 99" in five different Japanese cities against the Japan National Team, which will evolve into its Olympic Team for the 2000 Summer Games in Sydney, Australia. Prior to the departure for Japan, the SEC All-Stars will practice Aug. 1-4 on the campus of Birmingham-Southern College in Birmingham.
"It is an honor for Marcus and me to be able to represent the conference on this all-star team," said Barnes, who will enter his second season as head coach in the 1999-2000 season. "As co-head coach of the team, this will give me an opportunity to coach and teach a team of very-talented individuals.
"For Marcus, this trip will be a tremendous opportunity for him to improve his game for the upcoming season. He has a chance to be one of the top players in the league next year, and if he continues to develop his game, he could be one of the best in the nation."
Last year, Hicks was the Rebels' third-leading scorer with an 11.7 average, and led the squad in field goal percentage (63.4 percent) and blocked shots (46). Hicks was second on the team in rebounding at 5.4 boards per contest. Hicks, who netted a career-best 24 points in a win over Louisville, played in all 33 games last year, starting 29. A 1998 junior college All-America first teamer at Northwest (Miss.) C.C., Hicks finished the 1998-99 campaign ranked among the national and conference field goal percentage leaders.
In only his first season as head coach at Ole Miss, Barnes recorded the most wins ever by a first-year head coach with 20 victories (20-13 record) and guided the Rebels' to their first NCAA Tournament victory, a 72-70 win over Villanova in the first round.
The Rebels finished the 1998-99 season with a 20-13 overall mark and an 8-8 SEC record. Last season, Ole Miss advanced to the NCAA Tournament and won 20 or more games for the third straight year in 1998-99.
1999 SEC All-Star Basketball Team
Sam Haginas (F, Alabama)Brandon Dean (G, Arkansas)Doc Robinson (G, Auburn)Major Parker (F, Florida)Adrian Jones (G, Georgia)Saul Smith (G, Kentucky)Jabari Smith (C, LSU)Marcus Hicks (F, Ole Miss)Tang Hamilton (F, Mississippi State)Tony Kitchings (C, South Carolina)Vincent Yarbrough (F, Tennessee)Darius Coulibaly (C, Vanderbilt)
Co-Head Coaches: Rod Barnes, Ole Miss John Brady, LSUTrainer: Jeff Moore, Ole MissManager: Drew Shea, LSU
