Drew Pember Named Big South Conference Male Athlete of the Year for Second Consecutive Year

BIG SOUTH RELEASE

CHARLOTTE, N.C. – For the second year in a row, Drew Pember has been voted the Big South Conference Howard Bagwell Male Athlete of the Year. The league made the announcement on Thursday (July 18).

The candidates for the annual award are the Players of the Year from each sport, who must be deemed eligible for the honor by their respective schools. The winners are voted on by the league's Athletics Directors, Senior Woman Administrators and Sports Information Directors.

In March 2000, the Big South Conference Executive Committee voted to create an annual Male and Female Student-Athlete of the Year award, and named the male award in honor of former Charleston Southern Athletic Director Howard Bagwell, who was one of the founders of the Big South Conference and an inaugural inductee into the league's Hall of Fame. In June 2022, the Executive Committee named the female award in honor of former Campbell women's basketball coach and Big South Hall of Famer Wanda Watkins.

Pember is the fifth back-to-back recipient of the Howard Bagwell Male Athlete of the Year Award since the award began in 1999-00, but the first basketball player to earn the honor in consecutive years. He earned 67 points and six first-place votes, ahead of High Point thrower Chris Van Niekerk (60 points, six first-place votes). Presbyterian baseball player Joel Dragoo was third with 51 points (three first-place votes).

Pember was the first back-to-back Big South Men's Basketball Player of the Year honoree since 2008-09 and just the seventh multiple-winner in league history. His postseason accolades included the Lou Henson All-America Team for the second-straight year, NABC All-District First-Team honors, and Big South All-Tournament Team accolades. Pember concluded one of the most decorated careers in UNC Asheville men's basketball history in 2023-24, as he was named Big South Player of the Week twice, recorded two triple-doubles -- becoming just the third Bulldog in program history to accomplish this feat, and the only individual in program history to record more than one -- led the Big South in overall scoring at 20.6 points and was just the eighth player in league annals to average 20.0 points in back-to-back seasons. Pember finished the season fourth in the nation with 228 free throws made and was ninth in attempts. He posted a season-high 36 points and six 3-pointers against Winthrop on Feb. 3, and had a season-high 16 rebounds against USC Upstate on Feb. 10. He concluded his collegiate career as the only player in Big South history with 1,900 points (1,902), 700 rebounds (795), and 200 blocked shots (236), and conference career rankings stand at No. 16 in points, No. 18 in rebounds and sixth in blocks.

Pember became the first Bulldog in program history to play in the NABC Reese's All-Star Game and competed in the prestigious Portsmouth Invitational Tournament. He is currently competing in the NBA Summer League with the Memphis Grizzlies.

You can watch Pember and the Grizzlies in their final summer league game this evening at 6 p.m. EST on ESPN+.

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