University of North Carolina Ashville Athletics
Rowsey Named Preseason 1st Team All-Conference
10.27.2014 | Men's Basketball
CHARLOTTE, N.C. – UNC Asheville sophomore guard Andrew Rowsey was named to the Big South Preseason All-Conference first team Monday morning at the league's annual media day that is being held at the Marriott Fairfield Inn & Suites in Uptown Charlotte.
In addition, the preseason rankings came out and the Bulldogs were picked to finish in sixth place during the 2014-15 Big South season. Defending Big South champion Coastal Carolina was selected first, followed by regular-season champion High Point. Radford was picked fourth, followed by Winthrop and the UNC Asheville. The Bulldogs did get one first-place vote.
Asheville went 17-15 last season and return three starters this year. The Bulldogs went 10-6 in the Big South a year ago and advanced to the semifinals of the BSC Tournament for the seventh time in the last eight years.
“I think the predictions are fair for this year's team,” stated second-year head Asheville coach Nick McDevitt. “We have a great league this season with a lot of good teams and good players returning. We're anxious to spend the next four month proving the experts wrong.”
Rowsey enjoyed an incredible rookie season with Asheville. He was tabbed Big South Freshman of the Year and earned first-team All-Conference honors as he averaged 20.3 points per game. The Lexington, Va. native set an Asheville single-season record for most three-pointers with 106. He scored in double figures in 31 of the Bulldogs' 32 games. His 20.3 scoring average was the second highest for a freshman in the nation a year ago. Rowsey scored 30 points or more in five different games, including a 41-point explosion at Radford that set a Dedmon Center scoring record.
“I'm really happy for Andrew. We're very proud of him to get this kind of recognition,” explained McDevitt. “He'll be challenged this year by our opponents but he has worked hard to improve his game and be even better this season.”
UNC Asheville plays its first and only exhibition game on Saturday, Nov. 8 when the Bulldogs host Brevard College at Kimmel Arena starting at 7:30 p.m.
McDevitt's club opens the season at Wake Forest on Friday, Nov. 15 at 7 p.m. Asheville's first regular-season home game will be against Johnson & Wales on Wednesday, Nov. 19 at 7 p.m.
The Bulldogs open Big South Conference play at Radford on Dec. 31. Asheville's first home BSC game comes against Gardner-Webb at Kimmel Arena on Jan. 3.
