Pember Named Big South Preseason Player of the Year; Bulldogs Picked First in Preseason Poll

CHARLOTTE, N.C. – The Big South Conference announced Tuesday that UNC Asheville men's basketball player Drew Pember has been named the Conference's Preseason Player of the Year and that the Bulldogs are picked to finish first in the Preseason Poll.

Big South Conference Preseason Honors Release

This is the second year in a row that Pember has been named the Conference's Preseason Player of the Year. This is the sixth time Asheville has had a player earn this recognition, with Pember being the fifth Bulldog to do so and the only one to win it twice.

Pember had one of the best seasons in UNC Asheville history in 2022-23. He recorded three 40-plus point outings, including a school record 48 points against Presbyterian on January 25, 2023, the most points scored in a single game in Division I during the 2022-23 season. Pember was the first Big South player to lead the league in scoring, rebounding, and blocks in a season and led the country in free throws made and attempted. He was named the Big South Player of the Week five times and a finalist for the Lute Olson (Top Player in Division I) and Lou Henson (Top Player in Mid-Majors) National Player of the Year awards. After the regular season, Pember was named the Big South's Player and Defensive Player of the Year and earned Big South Tournament MVP. He is the first player in conference history to be named Preseason Player of the Year, Player of the Year, Defensive Player of the Year, and Tournament MVP in the same season. He also was named to the 2023 Lou Henson All-America Team.

Pember is the first Big South student-athlete to be voted Preseason Player of the Year in back-to-back seasons since Chris Clemons (Campbell) from 2017-19.

2023-24 Big South Conference Men's Basketball Preseason All-Conference Team

First-Team

Drew Pember, UNC Asheville, 5th, F
Kelton Talford, Winthrop, Sr., F
DQ Nicholas, Gardner-Webb, Sr., G
DaQuan Smith, Radford, R-Sr., G
Bryan Antoine, Radford, Sr., G

Second-Team

Kasen Harrison, Winthrop, Sr., G
Justin Bailey, USC Upstate, So., G
Taje' Kelly, Charleston Southern, Jr., F
Trae Broadnax, USC Upstate, R-Jr., G/F
Sin'Cere McMahon, Winthrop, Sr., G

Big South Preseason Poll Release

This is the sixth time the Bulldogs have been picked as the preseason favorites, with the last time being in 2017-18. Asheville accumulated 16 first-place votes and 166 total points to earn the top spot.

The Bulldogs won a school-record 27 games last season, went 16-2 in conference play, and was one of 11 schools to go undefeated at home (13-0).

The previous times Asheville was picked as the preseason favorite include 1989-90, 1997-98, 2002-03, 2011-12 and 2017-18.

Rk - School (first-place votes)	Points
1 - UNC Asheville (16)	166
2 - Radford (1)	132
3 - Winthrop (1)	130
4 - Gardner-Webb	111
5 - Longwood	109
6 - USC Upstate	73
7 - High Point (1)	67
8 - Charleston Southern	35
9 - Presbyterian College	32