University of North Carolina Ashville Athletics
Drew Pember Named to 2023 Lou Henson All-America Team
03.31.2023 | Men's Basketball
HOUSTON, TX – UNC Asheville men's basketball player Drew Pember has been named to the 2023 Lou Henson All-America Team. Pember, who recently announced that he will return to Asheville for the 2023-24 season, is the first Bulldog to ever receive this honor.
Pember is coming off one of the best seasons ever by a Big South player in 2022-23. Pember is not only the first player in conference history to lead the league in scoring, rebounding, and blocks in a single season but he is also the first player in Big South history to be named the Preseason Player of the Year, Player of the Year, Defensive Player of the Year, and Tournament MVP in the same campaign. He was also named the Big South Player of the Week five times.
The Knoxville, Tennessee native had plenty of stats to back up the awards he received. He broke Asheville's single season scoring record (733 points) along with free throws made (266) and attempted (318) records. His 266 makes from the line are the 10th-most in the history of Division I men's basketball and leads the nation in 2022-23. His 733 points scored are the seventh-most in the country and his blocked shot total of 80 is tenth in Division I. Furthermore, he broke the school's single-game scoring record with 48 points vs. Presbyterian back on January 25. The 48 points scored by Pember are the most points scored by a Division I player in a game this season.
Following the Big South Tournament, Pember earned additional accolades. He earned All-District honors from both the U.S. Basketball Writers Association and the NABC. Furthermore, he was named a finalist for the Lute Olson (Top Player in Division I) National Player of the Year Award.
Players on teams from the following conferences are eligible for the award: America East, ASUN, Big Sky, Big South, Big West, Colonial, Horizon, Independents, Ivy, Metro Atlantic, Mid-American, MEAC, Missouri Valley, Northeast, Ohio Valley, Patriot, Southern, Southland, SWAC, Summit, Sun Belt, WAC, West Coast.
Pember was the lone Big South player to earn a spot on the 30-man roster. Louisiana's Jordan Brown won the top honor of Lou Henson Player of the Year.
2022-23 Lou Henson Award All-America Team
Pember is coming off one of the best seasons ever by a Big South player in 2022-23. Pember is not only the first player in conference history to lead the league in scoring, rebounding, and blocks in a single season but he is also the first player in Big South history to be named the Preseason Player of the Year, Player of the Year, Defensive Player of the Year, and Tournament MVP in the same campaign. He was also named the Big South Player of the Week five times.
The Knoxville, Tennessee native had plenty of stats to back up the awards he received. He broke Asheville's single season scoring record (733 points) along with free throws made (266) and attempted (318) records. His 266 makes from the line are the 10th-most in the history of Division I men's basketball and leads the nation in 2022-23. His 733 points scored are the seventh-most in the country and his blocked shot total of 80 is tenth in Division I. Furthermore, he broke the school's single-game scoring record with 48 points vs. Presbyterian back on January 25. The 48 points scored by Pember are the most points scored by a Division I player in a game this season.
Following the Big South Tournament, Pember earned additional accolades. He earned All-District honors from both the U.S. Basketball Writers Association and the NABC. Furthermore, he was named a finalist for the Lute Olson (Top Player in Division I) National Player of the Year Award.
Players on teams from the following conferences are eligible for the award: America East, ASUN, Big Sky, Big South, Big West, Colonial, Horizon, Independents, Ivy, Metro Atlantic, Mid-American, MEAC, Missouri Valley, Northeast, Ohio Valley, Patriot, Southern, Southland, SWAC, Summit, Sun Belt, WAC, West Coast.
Pember was the lone Big South player to earn a spot on the 30-man roster. Louisiana's Jordan Brown won the top honor of Lou Henson Player of the Year.
2022-23 Lou Henson Award All-America Team
| Max Abmas | 6-0 | Oral Roberts |
| Dalton Bolon | 6-4 | Charleston |
| Mike Bothwell | 6-3 | Furman |
| Jordan Brown | 6-11 | Louisiana |
| Joe Bryant Jr. | 6-1 | Norfolk State |
| Sincere Carry | 6-1 | Kent State |
| Walter Clayton Jr. | 6-2 | Iona |
| Austin Crowley | 6-5 | Southern Miss |
| Antoine Davis | 6-1 | Detroit |
| RayJ Dennis | 6-2 | Toledo |
| Tucker DeVries | 6-7 | Drake |
| Jordan Dingle | 6-3 | Penn |
| Aaron Estrada | 6-4 | Hofstra |
| Logan Johnson | 6-2 | Saint Mary's |
| Tevian Jones | 6-7 | Southern Utah |
| Taevion Kinsey | 6-5 | Marshall |
| Ryan Larson | 6-1 | Charleston |
| Darius McGhee | 5-9 | Liberty |
| Ajay Mitchell | 6-4 | UCSB |
| Drew Pember | 6-11 | UNC Asheville |
| Dylan Penn | 6-3 | Vermont |
| Brandin Podziemski | 6-5 | Santa Clara |
| Tucker Richardson | 6-5 | Colgate |
| Cam Shelton | 6-2 | Loyola Marymount |
| DeMarcus Sharp | 6-3 | Northwestern State |
| Ben Sheppard | 6-6 | Belmont |
| JT Shumate | 6-7 | Toledo |
| Jalen Slawson | 6-7 | Furman |
| Marques Warrick | 6-2 | Northern Kentucky |
| Chris Youngblood | 6-4 | Kennesaw State |
Players Mentioned
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