His 52.3 field goal percentage was first among league freshmen (ninth overall) while his 2.8 offensive rebounds per game was second best overall in the league. His rebounding average ranked second on Marshall and 14th highest in C-USA.
Baines posted four double-doubles in 2007-08 (second most on team), including his 15-point, 10-rebound effort versus Tulane in the first round of the C-USA Championship. The 6-foot-6 leaper started 29 of the Thundering Herd's 30 contests in helping MU achieve a winning record (16-14) for the first time since 2000-01.
Tirrell Baines, shown in the Marshall-UTEP game, was named to the Second Team National All-Freshman team Monday, as selected by CollegeHoops.net. file photo by Greg Perry/HI staff
Baines was also named to the C-USA All-Freshman Team on March 11. Fellow Conference USA players also were named to the list, including R.L. Horton of Southern Miss being named to the second team alongside Baines. Horton is a 6-foot, 175-pound guard from Jackson, Miss. SMU frosh big man Papa Dia was named to the CollegeHoops.net Honorable Mention team. Dia is a 6-foot-9, 250-pound forward from St. Louis, Senegal. Baines, Dia and Horton were all on the C-USA All-Frosh squad.
Unbelievable, however, is the omission of Derek Rose, the outstanding freshman point guard of the Memphis Tigers. Rose has helped the Tigers to a 37-1 mark and to the Final Four this weekend when he scored 21 points along with nine assists and six rebounds as the Tigers knocked off Texas to reach the semi-finals of the NCAA Tournament.
The National Freshman of the Year, as named by CollegeHoops.net is P'Allen Stinnett of Creighton. The guard is 6-foot-3 , 170-pounder is from Las Vegas, Nevada, but played at Brewster Academy in New Hampshire in 2006-07, the same school that produced the Herd's junior guard, Chris Lutz. The Blue Jays are coached by former Marshall head coach Dana Altman. Stinnett averaged 12.6 points and 3.4 rebounds per game. He shot 45 percent from the floor, 79 percent at the line and averaged 1.8 assists per game.
CollegeHoops.net High-Major All-Freshman Team
G: Armon Johnson (Nevada)
G: P'Allen Stinnett (Creighton)
G: Charles Jenkins (Hofstra)
: Austin Daye (Gonzaga)
F: Herb Pope (New Mexico St)
CollegeHoops.net Second Team High-Major All-Freshman
G: R.L. Horton (Southern Miss)
F: Chris Wright (Dayton)
F: Tirrell Baines (Marshall)
F: Billy White (San Diego State)
F: Lavoy Allen (Temple)
CollegeHoops.net Honorable Mention High-Major All-Freshman:
Kevin Anderson (Richmond)
Alphonso Dawson (Delaware)
Papa Dia (SMU)
Dairese Gary (New Mexico)
Steven Gray (Gonzaga)
Sam Maniscalco (Bradley)
Chad Tomko (UNC Wilmington)
CollegeHoops.net High-Major Freshman of the Year:
P'Allen Stinnett (Creighton)