EaglesNestCast ASUN AWARDS

Player of the Year:

Darius McGhee, JR, Liberty:

McGhee did it all for Liberty this season, averaging 15.5 ppg, but really hit his stride over his past four games, willing the Flames to victory and setting them up for another deep ASUN Conference tournament run. Ahsan Asadullah put up good numbers but wasn’t able to runaway with the award, like we all thought he would.

Defensive Player of the Year:

Elijah Cuffee, SR, Liberty

Elijah is one of the best defensive players to play in the ASUN Conference but also to wear a Liberty uniform. The Flames are predicated on strong defense and Elijah gets it done. He also won the preseason defensive player of the year award, so it’s no secret.

Coach of the Year:

Scott Davenport, Bellarmine

We talked with Coach Davenport this offseason and he preached how important it was for his teams to be a family and do everything on and off the court together, and that is why former Bellarmine alumni stay connected for life, and his whole team bought into this mindset, and played like they have been there before. To challenge Liberty for 1st in the ASUN Conference is no joke, and finishing 10-3 in the conference is one incredible start to playing NCAA D-1 basketball. While the Knights won’t be eligible for the NCAA Tournament this season, don’t be surprised if they make a run in the ASUN Conference tournament and spoil it for some other teams.

Newcomer of the Year:

Spencer Rodgers, JR, Kennesaw State

Spencer was an extreme surprise as he played with a youth movement team in Kennesaw, that is set up for a bright future in Year 3 of Coach Abduh-Rahim. He averaged 16.8 ppg and at one point willed the Owl’s to victory over Stetson at home, scoring 27 pts. He is a very energetic and exciting player to watch in the ASUN Conference, and we are interested to see how he looks as a Senior next season.

Freshman of the Year:

Chase Johnston, Stetson University

Even though Stetson University didn’t have the year we thought they would have, when you combined Rob Perry, Chase, and Mahamadou Diawara on the same team, Johnston was super consistent most games for the Hatters. Chase averaged 17.3 ppg (7th in ASUN), shot 43.3% from the field, and 38.9% from beyond the arc (72/185, 2nd in ASUN). He was also 3rd in steals (34), and 7th in the conference in points (329).

1st Team:

C Ahsan Asadullah, JR, Lipscomb

F Dontarius James, JR, Jacksonville

G Darius McGhee, JR, Liberty

G Carter Hendricksen, JR, UNF

G Pedro Bradshaw, JR, Bellarmine