Smith averaged 20.0 points and 8.0 rebounds per game.

PHILADELPHIA, PA – For the second year in a row, La Salle’s Steven Smith (Philadelphia, PA/Northeast) was selected as the Atlantic 10 Player of the Year by a vote of the conference’s head coaches. The All-America candidate averaged 20.0 points and 8.0 rebounds per game, leading the Explorers to their first winning season in 12 years.

Smith, who was also named first team all-conference, finished the regular season leading the A-10 in scoring.  The senior finished third in the conference in rebounding. His .490 (204-416) field goal percentage ranks fifth in the conference, while his 14 20-point scoring games is first. In earning his second Player of the Year award (he shared it with Pat Carroll of Saint Joseph’s last season), Smith becomes just the fifth player in league history to earn the honor twice, joining James Bailey of Rutgers (1978, 1979), Earl Belcher of St. Bonaventure (1980, 1981), West Virginia’s Greg Jones (1982, 1983), and David West of Xavier (2001, 2002, 2003).

Smith racked up seven double-doubles this season, his most recent a 26-point, 16-rebound performance coming in La Salle’s win over Saint Louis on March 4. Smith set career highs in points and rebounds this season, scoring 41 points in a win over Central Connecticut State and snaring 26 rebounds against Saint Louis.

Named a preseason candidate for both the Naismith and Wooden Awards, Smith was also honored as a member of the 2006 NABC Division I District 3 First Team. He earned four Atlantic 10 Player of the Week awards and received a similar honor from the Big 5 three times.

Senior Jermaine Thomas (Frederick, MD/Thomas Johnson) was named an honorable mention all-conference performer. The guard averaged 12.3 points and 4.2 rebounds. Thomas dished out a team-high 103 assists and nailed 48 three-pointers on 41.6 percent shooting from beyond the arc.

La Salle will travel to Cincinnati for the A-10 tournament with a first-round bye. The third-seeded Explorers will take on the winner of the game between No. 6 Fordham and No. 11 Richmond on Thursday, March 9 at 8:30 p.m.