by Matt Cooke
West Georgia’s successful 2014-15 basketball season continues to reap honors for sophomore guard Deonta Stocks, and on March 30, head coach Michael Cooney joined in the postseason accolades, as the pair were given the top honors bestowed by the Georgia Basketball Coaches Association.
Deonta Stocks
Deonta, a native of Lithonia, Georgia, was named Monday as Georgia NCAA Division II Player of the Year by Georgia Basketball Coaches Association (GABCA). The group also selected Deonta as a first team member of the GABCA Division II All-State Team.
Beyond Deonta’s honor, the coaches group also honored Wolves head coach Michael Cooney. UWG’s veteran mentor was selected the GABCA Division II Coach of the Year for 2014-15.
For Deonta, the GABCA honor is latest of many for this post-season. The Lithonia native has been named an All-American by the National Association of Basketball Coaches and has received All-America notice from both The Basketball Times and D-II Bulletin. Deonta was also chosen Gulf South Conference Player of the Year, All-GSC First Team, and Daktronics All-South Region.
Four players joined Deonta on the All-GABCA First Team. They are Dedric Ware of Shorter, Kenney Funderburk of Columbus State, Tyrone Brinson of Fort Valley State, and Isaiah Johnson of Young Harris.
For Coach Cooney, the GABCA Coach of the Year honor is his first in eight years at the helm of the UWG program. His 2015 Wolves finished the season with a record of 22-9, won a share of the GSC regular season title, and advanced to the semifinals of the NCAA Division II South Region Tournament before dropping a heartbreaker, 84-81, to eventual national champ Florida Southern on the Mocs’ home court.
The GABCA selects all-state teams, along with player of the year and coach of the year honorees from four separate classifications. This includes NCAA Division II, NCAA Division III, NAIA/NCCAA, and from the state’s junior college programs.
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