The USA South Athletic Conference has announced its 2021-22 All-Conference awards for men's basketball. Individually, N.C. Wesleyan's Damon McDowell was named Player of the Year, Mary Baldwin's Vernon Fraley earned Rookie of the Year, Maryville's Myles Rasnick collected Defensive Player of the Year, and Averett's David Doino grabbed Coach of the Year honors. Additionally, the USA South recognized an All-Sportsmanship Team, consisting of one member from each competing school who their coach felt displayed the best sportsmanship this season.
All awards are voted on by the men's basketball coach at each institution. The divisional team voting is completed only by those coaches in the particular division. The all-conference and individual award voting is completed by all coaches.
Damon McDowell
N.C. Wesleyan
McDowell, a senior guard from Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, becomes just the fourth N.C. Wesleyan men's basketball student-athlete to be named USA South Player of the Year.
McDowell currently leads the Conference in scoring, averaging 23.7 points per game, which ranks eighth nationally. He also has made the most field goals (210) and three-pointers (83) this season within the Conference in addition to averaging 4.2 rebounds and 1.9 assists per contest. In Conference games-only, McDowell's scoring average rose to a League-best 26.8 points per game to go along with 1.9 assists per contest. McDowell finds himself on the All-Conference team for the third consecutive season, this time as a First Team All-Conference and First Team All-East Division member. Finally, he earned USA South Player of the Week honors once this winter taking it home two weeks ago when he averaged 30 points/game that week.
In addition to McDowell, junior forward Isaiah Lewis was also named to the Second Team East Division while Tyler Spence was named to the All-Sportsmanship team.
The Bishop men, the #2 seed in the East Division defeated third seed Pfeiffer in the USA South Quarterfinals on Tuesday night 81-69 to advance to the Tournament semifinals on Friday in Covenant, Ga.
The 2021-22 USA South Men's Basketball All-Conference Team:
https://usasouth.net/sports/mbkb/2021-22/releases/20220218h59xwx
| First Team All-Conference Corey Baldwin, Averett Kyle Brown, LaGrange Will Crumly, Covenant Damon McDowell, N.C. Wesleyan Myles Rasnick, Maryville |
| First Team East Division | Second Team East Division |
| Corey Baldwin, Averett Dante Burden, Methodist Conner Marchant, Southern Virginia Damon McDowell, N.C. Wesleyan Jerome Savoy, Pfeiffer |
Vernon Fraley, Mary Baldwin Isaiah Lewis, N.C. Wesleyan Dorian Miles, Pfeiffer Malakai Olson, Southern Virginia Tyler Thomas, Mary Baldwin |
All-Sportsmanship
Tyler Spence, N.C. Wesleyan
