Rome GA - The USA South Conference has released its 2023 all-conference awards for men's basketball. As voted on by the coaches of each institution, The Bishops earned three awards including player, defensive player, and coach of the year. Wesleyan also received multiple all-conference selections and a Sportsmanship Award recipient.

Senior Forward Isaiah Lewis (Player of the Year) 

Lewis, a senior forward from Knightdale, North Carolina, becomes the fifth N.C. Wesleyan men's basketball student-athlete to be named USA South Player of the Year and the second in as many years (Damon McDowell). Lewis ranked in the top-five in scoring, rebounding, and blocks this season, averaging 16.1 points, 7.6 rebounds, and 1.4 blocks per game. Against USA South opposition, Lewis led the Conference with 94 made field goals and an average points per 40 minutes played of 24.3. Additionally, his 18.1 points per game ranked second while his 8.1 rebounds per contest was third-best. Lewis finds himself on the All-Conference team for the third consecutive season, this time as a First Team All-Conference member. Finally, he earned USA South Player of the Week honors three times this winter.

Junior Forward Khalid Chavis-Hinds (Defensive Player of the Year)

Chavis-Hinds, a  junior guard from Greensboro, North Carolina, becomes the first Battling Bishop to collect the Conference's Defensive Player of the Year award in the sport of men's basketball. Chavis-Hinds led the USA South in steals per game with 1.8 and was tied for the League-league with 43 total takeaways. In Conference-only contests, Chavis-Hinds led the USA South in both steals per game (2.2) and total thefts (29). Additionally, Chavis-Hinds averaged 11.7 points, 4.2 rebounds, and 3.6 assists per game during the regular season. For his overall performance on the court this year, Chavis-Hinds was named Second Team All-Conference.

Head Coach John Thompson (Coach of the Year) 

Thompson, in his 28th year as N.C. Wesleyan's head coach, earns his fifth USA South Coach of the Year honor. His Battling Bishops were picked by the coaches in the preseason to place first in the Conference and they did just that by capturing the program's 11th League regular season championship. It is N.C. Wesleyan's fourth regular season crown in the past seven seasons, not counting the COVID-altered 2020-21 campaign. The Battling Bishops concluded Conference play with a 13-1 record to go along with a 21-4 overall mark. The 13 League wins mark the most for the N.C. Wesleyan program since the 2017-18 season while the 21 overall victories are the most since the 2010-11 campaign. Another victory will mark the most for the Battling Bishops in a season since 1986-87. Next up for N.C. Wesleyan is a USA South Tournament semifinal contest as the event's top-seeded team.

All-Conference Selections

1st Team - Isaiah Lewis (16 PPG, 7 RPG, 1 APG)

2nd Team - Khalid Chavis-Hinds (11 PPG, 4 RPG, 2 APG)

2nd Team - Brayden Dixon (11 PPG, 3 RPG, 2 APG)

All-Sportsmanship - Omari Bolden

Article Credit: Mike Christie (USA South)