University of North Carolina Ashville Athletics
Trio of Bulldogs Earn Big South Postseason Honors
03.02.2020 | Men's Basketball
CHARLOTTE – UNC Asheville men's basketball sophomore DeVon Baker earned Second-Team All-Big South Conference recognition, while redshirt sophomore LJ Thorpe was named an Honorable Mention selection, the league announced, Monday.
Additionally, redshirt junior Jax Levitch earned recognition on the conference's All-Academic Team.
Baker finished the regular season as the conference's fifth-leading scorer, averaging 16.6 points per game. He had six games in which he scored 20 or more points, including two with 30 or more. He scored a career-best 37 points against UT Martin, December 14. He also poured in 30 points in a home conference victory against USC Upstate, February 6.
The career-high 15 made field goals he scored against UT Martin were tied for the most in a game by a player in the conference this season.
A guard from Dayton, Ohio, Baker finished seventh in the league in field goal percentage at 45.8 percent and ninth in free throw percentage at 76.3 percent.
Not only was he the Bulldogs' leading scorer, he also played a critical role in the team leading the Big South and ranking 22nd nationally in steals, as Baker tied for fifth in the conference averaging 1.5 steals per game.
It is the second postseason recognition for Baker, who earned a nod on the conference's All-Freshman team a season ago.
Thorpe finished the regular season as the 10th-leading scorer in the conference, averaging 14 points per game. He recorded the second triple-double in program history, February 10, at Hampton with 17 points, 13 rebounds and 10 assists, joining Kenny George in 2007 as the only other Bulldog to accomplish the feat. He also became the first Bulldog since J.P. Primm in 2010 to record double-digit assists in a game.
He finished the year with two additional double-doubles in victories against UT Martin and at Charleston Southern, January 11, where his layup with nine seconds remaining provided the final margin of victory.
The forward from West Palm Beach, Fla. ranked fifth in the conference, averaging 6.4 rebounds per game. Thorpe shined in conference play, averaging 15.5 points per game to rank eighth and 6.8 rebounds to rank fourth.
Thorpe tied Baker for fifth in the Big South, averaging 1.5 steals per game. He earned the first Big South Player of the Week Award, November 11, for his play in the season opener at Tennessee and victory at The Citadel.
It is the first postseason honor of Thorpe's career.
Levitch earned recognition on the All-Academic team, as he currently holds a 3.33 grade-point average pursuing a degree in management. He earned Dean's List recognition in the Fall 2019 semester, and earned Athletic Director's Honor Roll in the Spring 2019 semester.
The Lousiville, Ky. native came off the bench in 21 games for the Bulldogs this season. He nearly had a double-double at The Citadel, scoring 11 points and corralling nine rebounds. In the team's penultimate game at High Point, he recorded a career-high three blocks, becoming one of just two Bulldogs on the roster to record three blocks in a game.
Baker, Thorpe, Levitch and the rest of the Bulldogs return to action when they host Campbell in the first round of the Hercules Tires Big South Championship, 7 p.m., Tuesday, inside Kimmel Arena. For more information on the matchup, click HERE.
Additionally, redshirt junior Jax Levitch earned recognition on the conference's All-Academic Team.
Baker finished the regular season as the conference's fifth-leading scorer, averaging 16.6 points per game. He had six games in which he scored 20 or more points, including two with 30 or more. He scored a career-best 37 points against UT Martin, December 14. He also poured in 30 points in a home conference victory against USC Upstate, February 6.
The career-high 15 made field goals he scored against UT Martin were tied for the most in a game by a player in the conference this season.
A guard from Dayton, Ohio, Baker finished seventh in the league in field goal percentage at 45.8 percent and ninth in free throw percentage at 76.3 percent.
Not only was he the Bulldogs' leading scorer, he also played a critical role in the team leading the Big South and ranking 22nd nationally in steals, as Baker tied for fifth in the conference averaging 1.5 steals per game.
It is the second postseason recognition for Baker, who earned a nod on the conference's All-Freshman team a season ago.
Thorpe finished the regular season as the 10th-leading scorer in the conference, averaging 14 points per game. He recorded the second triple-double in program history, February 10, at Hampton with 17 points, 13 rebounds and 10 assists, joining Kenny George in 2007 as the only other Bulldog to accomplish the feat. He also became the first Bulldog since J.P. Primm in 2010 to record double-digit assists in a game.
He finished the year with two additional double-doubles in victories against UT Martin and at Charleston Southern, January 11, where his layup with nine seconds remaining provided the final margin of victory.
The forward from West Palm Beach, Fla. ranked fifth in the conference, averaging 6.4 rebounds per game. Thorpe shined in conference play, averaging 15.5 points per game to rank eighth and 6.8 rebounds to rank fourth.
Thorpe tied Baker for fifth in the Big South, averaging 1.5 steals per game. He earned the first Big South Player of the Week Award, November 11, for his play in the season opener at Tennessee and victory at The Citadel.
It is the first postseason honor of Thorpe's career.
Levitch earned recognition on the All-Academic team, as he currently holds a 3.33 grade-point average pursuing a degree in management. He earned Dean's List recognition in the Fall 2019 semester, and earned Athletic Director's Honor Roll in the Spring 2019 semester.
The Lousiville, Ky. native came off the bench in 21 games for the Bulldogs this season. He nearly had a double-double at The Citadel, scoring 11 points and corralling nine rebounds. In the team's penultimate game at High Point, he recorded a career-high three blocks, becoming one of just two Bulldogs on the roster to record three blocks in a game.
Baker, Thorpe, Levitch and the rest of the Bulldogs return to action when they host Campbell in the first round of the Hercules Tires Big South Championship, 7 p.m., Tuesday, inside Kimmel Arena. For more information on the matchup, click HERE.
Players Mentioned
Monday, March 18
Monday, March 18
Thursday, March 14
Monday, March 04