University of North Carolina Ashville Athletics
Pember is the third Bulldog to be named Defensive Player of the Year
Pember named Big South Defensive Player of the Year, First Team honors; Thorpe earns Honorable Mention
03.01.2022 | Men's Basketball
Jude receives All-Academic Recognition
CHARLOTTE, N.C. – The Big South Conference announced its annual Men's Basketball All-Conference Awards as voted on by the league's coaches and media on Tuesday, with UNC Asheville's Drew Pember garnering Big South Defensive Player of the Year and First Team honors.
LJ Thorpe was named All-Big South Honorable Mention for the third consecutive year and Coty Jude earns All-Academic status for the second straight season.
Drew's Dominance
Finishing second in Player of the Year voting and earning First Team status, Pember becomes just the third Bulldog to earn Defensive Player of the Year honors, joining Kenny George (2007-08) and Ahmad Thomas (2016-17, 17-18). Transferring in from the University of Tennessee this summer, Pember scored 14 points in his Asheville debut and never looked back, reaching double figures in scoring 19 times including seven games in league play in which the big man scored 20 or more points. Pember's defensive prowess has been constant all year, spending the majority of the season ranked in the top five in the nation in blocks and blocks per game. The Knoxville, Tennessee, native has already recorded the fifth-most blocks in a season in program history (84), swatting three or more shots 16 times including a career-high eight in a win at Campbell.
Recording three double-doubles on the year, Pember elevated his game in conference play, ending the regular season as the league's leader in scoring (19.3 ppg), free throws made (99) and free throw attempts (117), ranking second in blocks (35), blocks per game (2.3), rebounds (108), rebounds per game (7.2) and free throw percentage (84.6). Tying the school record with three Big South Player of the Week honors in a season, Pember's most notable performance came at Radford in January, when the forward/center recorded the first 40-point double-double in the Big South since 2013 with 41 points and 11 rebounds in an overtime win.
Thorpe for Three
A versatile guard/forward, Thorpe has saved his best play for the stretch run of the season, averaging 19.3 points per game while shooting 50.0 percent from the floor and 42.9 percent from 3-point range in the last 10 games. For the season, Thorpe has dished out a career-high 103 assists, which is tied for fourth among league players and shot 49.8 percent from the floor in 29 games. Averaging 16.4 points per game conference play (5th), Thorpe scored 14 or more points 12 times with five games of 20 or more points scored, averaging. The West Palm Beach, Florida, native knocked down the second-most field goals in 16 games (95) and his 64 assists in league games rank fifth overall. Accumulating 1,201 points in his career, Thorpe ranks 14th at UNC Asheville in scoring in the Division I era and 23rd all-time.
Classic Coty
As consistent as they come, Jude earned All-Academic recognition for the second straight season for the Bulldogs. Jude has appeared in 109 games while at Asheville, starting 85 of them including 14 this season. The Fort Gay, West Virginia, native is one of just five players in program history to knock down 200 or more 3-pointers, sitting in third all-time (behind Tajion Jones, Josh Kohn) with 226 for his career, including 51 this season (13th among Big South players). Shooting a career-best 85.0 percent from the charity stripe, Jude knocked down two free throws to send Asheville to its first-ever triple-overtime game on February 26, where the Bulldogs would prevail 98-96 over Presbyterian. A management major, Jude has earned dean's list status multiple times, is involved in the Leaders for Leaders program at UNC Asheville and is a volunteer income tax assistant. To earn all-academic status, a student-athlete must have at least a 3.0 GPA.
To view the Big South release, click here.
2021-22 MEN'S BASKETBALL ALL-CONFERENCE
First Team (in order of points received)
DJ Burns Jr., Winthrop
Drew Pember, UNC Asheville
Justin Hill, Longwood
John-Michael Wright, High Point
Isaiah Wilkins, Longwood
Second Team
Bryson Mozone, USC Upstate
D'Maurian Williams, Gardner-Webb
Zack Austin, High Point
Rayshon Harrison, Presbyterian College
Jordan Gainey, USC Upstate
Honorable Mention
Cedric Henderson Jr., Campbell
LJ Thorpe, UNC Asheville
Patrick Good, Winthrop
DeShaun Wade, Longwood
Lance Terry, Gardner-Webb
All-Freshman Team
Zack Austin, High Point (tie)
Jordan Gainey, USC Upstate (tie)
Claudell Harris, Jr., Charleston Southern
Marquis Barnett, Presbyterian College
Taje Kelly, Charleston Southern
Men's Basketball All-Academic Team
Austin McCullough, R-Sr., Campbell
Lance Terry, Jr., Gardner-Webb
Emmanuel Izunabor, Jr., High Point
Zac Watson, Sr., Longwood
Kameron Langley, Grad., North Carolina A&T
Owen McCormack, Jr., Presbyterian
Shaquan Jules, Jr., Radford
Coty Jude, Sr., UNC Asheville
Josh Aldrich, Sr., USC Upstate
Russell Jones Jr., Jr., Winthrop
Player of the Year
DJ Burns Jr., Winthrop
Defensive Player of the Year
Drew Pember, UNC Asheville
Coach of the Year
Griff Aldrich, Longwood
Co-Freshman of the Year
Zack Austin, High Point
Jordan Gainey, USC Upstate
Scholar-Athlete of the Year
Owen McCormack, Presbyterian
LJ Thorpe was named All-Big South Honorable Mention for the third consecutive year and Coty Jude earns All-Academic status for the second straight season.
Drew's Dominance
Finishing second in Player of the Year voting and earning First Team status, Pember becomes just the third Bulldog to earn Defensive Player of the Year honors, joining Kenny George (2007-08) and Ahmad Thomas (2016-17, 17-18). Transferring in from the University of Tennessee this summer, Pember scored 14 points in his Asheville debut and never looked back, reaching double figures in scoring 19 times including seven games in league play in which the big man scored 20 or more points. Pember's defensive prowess has been constant all year, spending the majority of the season ranked in the top five in the nation in blocks and blocks per game. The Knoxville, Tennessee, native has already recorded the fifth-most blocks in a season in program history (84), swatting three or more shots 16 times including a career-high eight in a win at Campbell.
Recording three double-doubles on the year, Pember elevated his game in conference play, ending the regular season as the league's leader in scoring (19.3 ppg), free throws made (99) and free throw attempts (117), ranking second in blocks (35), blocks per game (2.3), rebounds (108), rebounds per game (7.2) and free throw percentage (84.6). Tying the school record with three Big South Player of the Week honors in a season, Pember's most notable performance came at Radford in January, when the forward/center recorded the first 40-point double-double in the Big South since 2013 with 41 points and 11 rebounds in an overtime win.
Thorpe for Three
A versatile guard/forward, Thorpe has saved his best play for the stretch run of the season, averaging 19.3 points per game while shooting 50.0 percent from the floor and 42.9 percent from 3-point range in the last 10 games. For the season, Thorpe has dished out a career-high 103 assists, which is tied for fourth among league players and shot 49.8 percent from the floor in 29 games. Averaging 16.4 points per game conference play (5th), Thorpe scored 14 or more points 12 times with five games of 20 or more points scored, averaging. The West Palm Beach, Florida, native knocked down the second-most field goals in 16 games (95) and his 64 assists in league games rank fifth overall. Accumulating 1,201 points in his career, Thorpe ranks 14th at UNC Asheville in scoring in the Division I era and 23rd all-time.
Classic Coty
As consistent as they come, Jude earned All-Academic recognition for the second straight season for the Bulldogs. Jude has appeared in 109 games while at Asheville, starting 85 of them including 14 this season. The Fort Gay, West Virginia, native is one of just five players in program history to knock down 200 or more 3-pointers, sitting in third all-time (behind Tajion Jones, Josh Kohn) with 226 for his career, including 51 this season (13th among Big South players). Shooting a career-best 85.0 percent from the charity stripe, Jude knocked down two free throws to send Asheville to its first-ever triple-overtime game on February 26, where the Bulldogs would prevail 98-96 over Presbyterian. A management major, Jude has earned dean's list status multiple times, is involved in the Leaders for Leaders program at UNC Asheville and is a volunteer income tax assistant. To earn all-academic status, a student-athlete must have at least a 3.0 GPA.
To view the Big South release, click here.
2021-22 MEN'S BASKETBALL ALL-CONFERENCE
First Team (in order of points received)
DJ Burns Jr., Winthrop
Drew Pember, UNC Asheville
Justin Hill, Longwood
John-Michael Wright, High Point
Isaiah Wilkins, Longwood
Second Team
Bryson Mozone, USC Upstate
D'Maurian Williams, Gardner-Webb
Zack Austin, High Point
Rayshon Harrison, Presbyterian College
Jordan Gainey, USC Upstate
Honorable Mention
Cedric Henderson Jr., Campbell
LJ Thorpe, UNC Asheville
Patrick Good, Winthrop
DeShaun Wade, Longwood
Lance Terry, Gardner-Webb
All-Freshman Team
Zack Austin, High Point (tie)
Jordan Gainey, USC Upstate (tie)
Claudell Harris, Jr., Charleston Southern
Marquis Barnett, Presbyterian College
Taje Kelly, Charleston Southern
Men's Basketball All-Academic Team
Austin McCullough, R-Sr., Campbell
Lance Terry, Jr., Gardner-Webb
Emmanuel Izunabor, Jr., High Point
Zac Watson, Sr., Longwood
Kameron Langley, Grad., North Carolina A&T
Owen McCormack, Jr., Presbyterian
Shaquan Jules, Jr., Radford
Coty Jude, Sr., UNC Asheville
Josh Aldrich, Sr., USC Upstate
Russell Jones Jr., Jr., Winthrop
Player of the Year
DJ Burns Jr., Winthrop
Defensive Player of the Year
Drew Pember, UNC Asheville
Coach of the Year
Griff Aldrich, Longwood
Co-Freshman of the Year
Zack Austin, High Point
Jordan Gainey, USC Upstate
Scholar-Athlete of the Year
Owen McCormack, Presbyterian
Players Mentioned
G
/ Men's Basketball
F
/ Men's Basketball
Highlights || Men's Basketball || #2 UNC Asheville vs #5 Longwood (Big South Tournament)
Monday, March 18
Highlights || Men's Basketball || #2 UNC Asheville vs #3 Gardner-Webb (Big South Tournament)
Monday, March 18
Highlights || Men's Basketball || #2 UNC Asheville vs #7 Charleston Southern (Big South Tournament)
Thursday, March 14
Highlights || Men's Basketball || UNC Asheville at Radford
Monday, March 04