Roberts on All-American team
By Staff
From school reports
November 10, 2004
STARKVILLE Mississippi State senior forward Lawrence Roberts has been accorded preseason All-America accolades by The Associated Press, as announced Tuesday afternoon by the national wire service.
The reigning SEC Player of the Year, Roberts tied Kansas senior Wayne Simien as the nation's second-leading vote-getters with 50 votes apiece from a national media panel, ranking behind Wake Forest sophomore guard Chris Paul (55 votes).
Roberts became Mississippi State's first AP All-American since Hall of Famer Bailey Howell (1958-59) a year ago after averaging 16.9 points (7th in SEC) and 10.1 rebounds (2nd in SEC and 11th in NCAA) per game for coach Rick Stansbury's SEC Champion Bulldogs.
Set to begin the 2004-05 campaign leading the nation among active NCAA Division I players with 38 career double-doubles, Roberts also became the first Bulldog player since Rickey Brown (1979-80) to average a double-double a season ago.
A three-year starter and three-time all-conference performer with 1,400 career points and 821 career rebounds to his credit, the Houston native and former Baylor transfer is also bidding to become the first repeat winner of the SEC's Player of the Year honor since former Arkansas All-American Corliss Williamson (1994 &95).
