Dominic Artis, Omega Harris earn all-conference honors

UTEP senior guard Dominic Artis was named second team All-Conference USA on Monday and junior guard Omega Harris was appointed third team All-League, based on a vote by head coaches and media.

It marks the first time since 2014 that UTEP has had multiple All-Conference honorees. Vince Hunter and Julian Washburn were second team selections that year, and John Bohannon was third team.

Artis is trying to become the first player to lead the Miners in rebounding (6.3 rpg), assists (5.9 apg) and steals (1.9 spg). He is also the first player in UTEP history, and only the fourth in C-USA history, to tally 400 points, 150 rebounds, 150 assists and 50 steals in a season. He has led the Miners in scoring seven times, rebounds 10 times, assists 24 times and steals 20 times in 2016-17.

Harris is tied with Artis for the team lead in double-figure scoring games (27) and tops the squad with eight 20-point games, most by a Miner in six years. He is averaging a team-leading 16.8 points. Harris posted career-highs for points (27), rebounds (10) and steals (five) in the regular season finale against Charlotte on Saturday and also scored his 1,000th career point versus the 49ers.

The first team is composed of LA Tech’s Erik McCree, Marshall’s Jon Elmore, Middle Tennessee’s JaCorey Williams, and Rice’s Marcus Evans and Egor Koulechov. Joining Artis on the second team are Charlotte’s Jon Davis, Middle Tennessee’s Reggie Upshaw Jr., UAB’s William Lee and WKU’s Justin Johnson. The third team features Harris, LA Tech’s Jacobi Boykins, Marshall’s Ryan Taylor, Middle Tennesee’s Giddy Potts and Old Dominion’s Ahmad Caver.

The Miners (14-16, 12-6 C-USA), who tied for third place in C-USA, will face either Southern Miss or Rice in the C-USA Championship quarterfinals on Thursday at 1 p.m. MT in Birmingham, Ala. The game will be televised on the American Sports Network and can be seen in El Paso on KFOX channel 14 or over the air CBS 4.2.

2016-17 ALL-CONFERENCE USA FIRST TEAM

Erik McCree, Louisiana Tech, Sr., F, 6-8. 225, Orlando, Florida

Jon Elmore, Marshall, Jr., G, 6-3, 189, Charleston, West Virginia

JaCorey Williams, Middle Tennessee, Sr., F, 6-8, 220, Birmingham, Alabama

Marcus Evans, Rice, So., G, 6-2, 195, Chesapeake, Virginia

Egor Koulechov, Rice, R-Jr., G/F, 6-5, 210, Volgograd, Russia

2016-17 ALL-CONFERENCE USA SECOND TEAM

Jon Davis, Charlotte, So., G, 6-3, 195, Upper Marlboro, Maryland

Reggie Upshaw Jr., Middle Tennessee, Sr., G, 6-8, 228, Chattanooga, Tennessee

William Lee, UAB, Jr., F, 6-9, 210, Plantersville, Alabama

Dominic Artis, UTEP, Sr., G, 6-3, 190, San Francisco, California

Justin Johnson, WKU, Jr., F, 6-6, 240, Hazard, Kentucky

2016-17 ALL-CONFERENCE USA THIRD TEAM

Jacobi Boykins, Louisiana Tech, Jr., G, 6-6, 175, St. Petersburg, Florida

Ryan Taylor, Marshall, Sr., F, 6-5, 249, Indianapolis, Indiana

Giddy Potts, Middle Tennessee, Jr., G, 6-2, 217, Athens, Alabama

Ahmad Caver, Old Dominion, So., G, 6-2, 170, Atlanta, Georgia

Omega Harris, UTEP, Jr., G, 6-3, 165, Bethany, Oklahoma