ASUN Conference Men's Basketball Player of the Year

The ASUN Conference Men's Basketball Player of the Year is an annual award given to the ASUN Conference's most outstanding player. The award was first given following the 1978–79 season, the first year of the ASUN's existence, when it was known as the Trans America Athletic Conference (TAAC). Only two players have won the award three times: Willie Jackson of Centenary (1982–1984) and Darius McGhee of Liberty (2021–2023).

ASUN Conference Men's Basketball Player of the Year
Awarded forthe most outstanding basketball player in the ASUN Conference
CountryUnited States
History
First award1979
Most recentIsaiah Cozart, Eastern Kentucky

Centenary has the most all-time winners with six, but left the conference in 2000, when the league was still known as the TAAC. There has been only one tie in the award's history, which occurred in 1997–98 between Mark Jones of UCF and Sedric Webber of Charleston. Among the 12 current ASUN members, only four have had a winner: Eastern Kentucky, Florida Gulf Coast, Lipscomb, and North Florida.

Co-Players of the Year
* Awarded a national player of the year award:
Helms Foundation College Basketball Player of the Year (1904–05 to 1978–79)
UPI College Basketball Player of the Year (1954–55 to 1995–96)
Naismith College Player of the Year (1968–69 to present)
John R. Wooden Award (1976–77 to present)
Player (X) Denotes the number of times the player has been named ASUN Player of the Year at that point

Winners

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Sam Mitchell, Mercer, 1985
Anthony Johnson, Charleston, 1997
Alex Renfroe, Belmont, 2009
Torrey Craig, USC Upstate, 2012
Sherwood Brown, Florida Gulf Coast, 2013
Langston Hall, Mercer, 2014
Dallas Moore, North Florida, 2016 and 2017
Brandon Goodwin, Florida Gulf Coast, 2018
Garrison Mathews, Lipscomb, 2019
Caleb Homesley, Liberty, 2020
Season Player School Position Class Reference
1978–79 Calvin Natt Louisiana–Monroe SF Senior [1]
1979–80 George Lett Centenary F Senior [2]
1980–81 Benton Wade Mercer PF Senior [3]
1981–82 Willie Jackson Centenary F Sophomore [4]
1982–83 Willie Jackson (2) Centenary F Junior [4]
1983–84 Willie Jackson (3) Centenary F Senior [4]
1984–85 Sam Mitchell Mercer SF Senior [5]
1985–86 Myron Jackson Little Rock PG / SG Junior [1]
1986–87 Brian Newton Georgia Southern SF Senior [6]
1987–88 Jeff Sanders Georgia Southern C Junior [7]
1988–89 Jeff Sanders (2) Georgia Southern C Senior [7]
1989–90 Larry Robinson Centenary SG Senior [8]
1990–91 Patrick Greer Centenary PG Senior [9]
1991–92 Tony Windless Georgia Southern SF Senior [1]
1992–93 Kenny Brown Mercer G Senior [10]
1993–94 Marion Busby Charleston G Junior [11]
1994–95 Kerry Blackshear Stetson SG / SF Junior [1]
1995–96 Thaddeus Delaney Charleston C Junior [12]
1996–97 Anthony Johnson Charleston PG / SG Senior [13]
1997–98 Mark Jones UCF SG Senior [14]
Sedric Webber Charleston PF Junior [15]
1998–99 Reed Rawlings Samford PF Junior [16]
1999–00 Detric Golden Troy PG Sophomore [17]
2000–01 Shernard Long Georgia State SG / SF Senior [18]
2001–02 Thomas Terrell Georgia State F Junior [19]
2002–03 Adam Sonn Belmont PF / SF Senior [20]
2003–04 Greg Davis Troy PG / SG Senior [21]
2004–05 Mike Bell Florida Atlantic F Senior [22]
2005–06 Tim Smith East Tennessee State PG Senior [23]
2006–07 Courtney Pigram East Tennessee State PG Sophomore [24]
2007–08 Thomas Sanders Gardner–Webb PG Senior [25]
2008–09 Alex Renfroe Belmont PG Senior [26]
2009–10 Adnan Hodžić Lipscomb C Junior [27]
2010–11 Mike Smith East Tennessee State SG Senior [28]
2011–12 Torrey Craig USC Upstate PF Sophomore [29]
2012–13 Sherwood Brown Florida Gulf Coast SG Senior [30]
2013–14 Langston Hall Mercer PG Senior [31]
2014–15 Ty Greene USC Upstate SG Senior [32]
2015–16 Dallas Moore North Florida PG Junior [33]
2016–17 Dallas Moore (2) North Florida PG Senior [33]
2017–18 Brandon Goodwin Florida Gulf Coast PG Senior [34]
2018–19 Garrison Mathews Lipscomb SG Senior [35]
2019–20 Caleb Homesley Liberty SG Senior [36]
2020–21 Darius McGhee Liberty SG Junior [37]
2021–22 Darius McGhee (2) Liberty SG Senior [37]
2022–23 Darius McGhee (3) Liberty SG Graduate [37]
2023–24 Isaiah Cozart Eastern Kentucky C Senior [38]

Winners by school

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School (year joined) Winners Years
Centenary (1978)[a] 6 1980, 1982, 1983, 1984, 1990, 1991
Charleston (1992)[b] 4 1994, 1996, 1997, 1998
Georgia Southern (1980)[c] 4 1987, 1988, 1989, 1992
Liberty (2018)[d] 4 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023
Mercer (1978)[e] 4 1981, 1985, 1993, 2014
East Tennessee State (2005)[e] 3 2006, 2007, 2011
Belmont (2001)[f] 2 2003, 2009
Florida Gulf Coast (2007) 2 2013, 2018
Georgia State (1984)[g] 2 2001, 2002
Lipscomb (2007) 2 2010, 2019
North Florida (2005) 2 2016, 2017
Troy (1997)[h] 2 2000, 2004
USC Upstate (2007)[i] 2 2012, 2015
Eastern Kentucky (2021) 1 2024
Little Rock (1980)[j] 1 1986
UCF (1992)[k] 1 1998
Florida Atlantic (1993)[l] 1 2005
Gardner–Webb (2002)[m] 1 2008
Louisiana–Monroe (1978)[n] 1 1979
Austin Peay (2022) 0
Bellarmine (2020) 0
Campbell (1994)[o] 0
Central Arkansas (2021) 0
Jacksonville (1997) 0
Jacksonville State (1995, 2021)[p] 0
Kennesaw State (2005)[q] 0
NJIT (2015)[r] 0
North Alabama (2018) 0
Northern Kentucky (2012)[s] 0
Oklahoma City (1978)[t] 0
Queens (2022) 0
Stetson (1985) 0
West Georgia (2024) 0
  1. ^ Centenary College of Louisiana left in 2000 and went independent. The Gents (and Ladies) have since dropped from Division I, and are now in the Division III Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference.
  2. ^ Charleston left in 1998 to join the Southern Conference (SoCon), and is now in the Coastal Athletic Association (CAA).
  3. ^ Georgia Southern University left in 1992 to join the SoCon, and is now in the Sun Belt Conference.
  4. ^ Liberty University left for Conference USA in 2023.
  5. ^ a b East Tennessee State University and Mercer University left in 2014 to join the SoCon.
  6. ^ Belmont University left in 2012 to join the Ohio Valley Conference, and moved to the Missouri Valley Conference in 2022.
  7. ^ Georgia State University left in 2005 to join the CAA, and is now in the Sun Belt.
  8. ^ Troy University left in 2005 to join the Sun Belt.
  9. ^ The University of South Carolina Upstate (USC Upstate) left in 2018 to join the Big South Conference.
  10. ^ The University of Arkansas at Little Rock left in 1991 to join the Sun Belt, and joined the Ohio Valley Conference in 2022.
  11. ^ The University of Central Florida left in 2005 to join Conference USA (C-USA), moved to the American Athletic Conference in 2013, and joined the Big 12 Conference in 2023.
  12. ^ Florida Atlantic University left in 2006 to join the Sun Belt, and moved to C-USA in 2013 and The American in 2023.
  13. ^ Gardner–Webb University left in 2008 to join the Big South Conference.
  14. ^ The University of Louisiana at Monroe left in 1983 to join the Southland Conference, and is now in the Sun Belt.
  15. ^ Campbell University left in 2011 to rejoin its pre-1994 home of the Big South Conference, and moved to the CAA in 2023.
  16. ^ Jacksonville State University left in 2003 to join the Ohio Valley Conference, rejoined the ASUN in 2021, and left again in 2023 for Conference USA.
  17. ^ Kennesaw State University will leave to join Conference USA in 2024.
  18. ^ NJIT left in 2020 to join the America East Conference.
  19. ^ Northern Kentucky left for the Horizon League in 2015.
  20. ^ Oklahoma City University was a charter TAAC member in 1978, but was only a member in the first season of 1978–79. The Chiefs, now the Stars, left to become a charter member of the Midwestern City Conference (now the Horizon League). Oklahoma City left the NCAA altogether in 1985, and is now a member of the NAIA Sooner Athletic Conference.

References

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  1. ^ a b c d "Men's ASUN Conference Player of the Year Winners". sports-reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. 2024. Retrieved January 10, 2024.
  2. ^ "TAAC Honors Go To Lett, Rhone". Shreveport Journal. Shreveport, Louisiana. March 6, 1980. p. 19. Retrieved January 10, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
  3. ^ "TAAC Honors Willie Jackson". Shreveport Journal. Shreveport, Louisiana. March 24, 1981. p. 17. Retrieved January 10, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
  4. ^ a b c "Jackson Tagged Top TAC Cager". The Town Talk. Alexandria, Louisiana. March 25, 1984. p. 29. Retrieved January 10, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
  5. ^ "Bibb, Mitchell named top TAAC coach, player". The Telegraph. Macon, Georgia. March 26, 1985. p. 21. Retrieved January 10, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
  6. ^ "TAAC Awards". The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Atlanta, Georgia. March 21, 1987. p. 46. Retrieved January 10, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
  7. ^ a b "Trio receives honors from TAAC". The Telegraph. Macon, Georgia. March 31, 1989. p. 13. Retrieved January 10, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
  8. ^ Grant, Evan (March 6, 1990). "Gents are getting a sneaking feeling". The Times. Shreveport, Louisiana. p. 15. Retrieved January 10, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
  9. ^ "Centenary gets first round win". Daily World. Opelousas, Louisiana. March 6, 1991. p. 9. Retrieved January 10, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
  10. ^ "Gents' Taylor, Stephens honored". The Times. Shreveport, Louisiana. March 8, 1993. p. 15. Retrieved January 10, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
  11. ^ "All-TAAC". The Times. Shreveport, Louisiana. March 8, 1994. p. 18. Retrieved January 10, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
  12. ^ White, Neil (March 13, 1996). "Cougars three for three with Delaney". The State. Columbia, South Carolina. p. 28. Retrieved January 10, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
  13. ^ Rubin, Bob (March 2, 1997). "Tourney Tease, Late Collapse". Miami Herald. Miami, Florida. p. 10C. Retrieved January 10, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
  14. ^ Greene, Jerry (March 2, 1998). "Speraw, UCF can't wait for next season". Orlando Sentinel. Orlando, Florida. p. 25. Retrieved January 10, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
  15. ^ Fainaru-Wada, Mark (March 12, 1998). "Road to Final Four is paved with clichés". San Francisco Examiner. San Francisco, California. p. 62. Retrieved January 10, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
  16. ^ Delnagro, Mike (March 8, 1999). "Storm–Samford in South". The Journal News. White Plains, New York. p. 18. Retrieved January 10, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
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  18. ^ Shearer, Ed (March 4, 2001). "Panthers are going dancing". The Anniston Star. Anniston, Alabama. p. 21. Retrieved January 13, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
  19. ^ Reese, Earnest (March 14, 2002). "NIT trip a short one". The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Atlanta, Georgia. p. D5. Retrieved January 13, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
  20. ^ "Belmont's Sonn A-Sun player of year". The Tennessean. Nashville, Tennessee. March 5, 2003. p. 94. Retrieved January 13, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
  21. ^ Edge, Jeff (March 3, 2004). "Maestri, Davis earn A-Sun honors". Dothan Eagle. Dothan, Alabama. p. 29. Retrieved January 13, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
  22. ^ Nelson, Marcus (March 2, 2005). "FAU's Bell named A-Sun's top player". The Palm Beach Post. West Palm Beach, Florida. p. 42. Retrieved January 13, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
  23. ^ Farkas, Michael (March 1, 2006). "Smith named A-Sun player of year". Bristol Herald Courier. Bristol, Virginia. p. 17. Retrieved January 13, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
  24. ^ Davis, Ben (March 4, 2007). "After loss, State will look to rebound in NIT". Elizabethton Star. Elizabethton, Tennessee. p. 16. Retrieved January 13, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
  25. ^ "All-Atlantic Sun teams". Johnson City Press. Johnson City, Tennessee. March 5, 2008. p. 18. Retrieved January 13, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
  26. ^ "A-Sun Postseason Honors". Bristol Herald Courier. Bristol, Virginia. March 4, 2009. p. 16. Retrieved January 13, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
  27. ^ "Despite loss, Hodzic ends season in style". The Telegraph. Macon, Georgia. March 4, 2010. p. C8. Retrieved January 13, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
  28. ^ "All-A-Sun teams". The Telegraph. Macon, Georgia. March 2, 2011. p. C3. Retrieved January 13, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
  29. ^ Lough, Michael A. (March 15, 2012). "Mercer shakes off slow start for victory in CIT opening round". The Telegraph. Macon, Georgia. p. C4. Retrieved January 13, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
  30. ^ "Florida Gulf Coast is a hot spot". The Olympian. Olympia, Washington. March 24, 2013. p. B7. Retrieved January 13, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
  31. ^ "Comer, Thompson first-team all-league selections". Naples Daily News. Naples, Florida. March 4, 2014. p. 29. Retrieved January 13, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
  32. ^ "USC Upstate 90, Kennesaw State 54". The State. Columbia, South Carolina. March 4, 2015. p. B6. Retrieved January 13, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
  33. ^ a b Caldwell, Dana (March 5, 2017). "Eagles must get past Ospreys for NCAA bid". Naples Daily News. Naples, Florida. p. 63. Retrieved January 13, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
  34. ^ "Three things to know". The Oklahoman. Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. March 13, 2018. p. 13. Retrieved January 13, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
  35. ^ Organ, Mike (March 16, 2019). "Lipscomb giving star Mathews help". The Tennessean. Nashville, Tennessee. p. B4. Retrieved January 13, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
  36. ^ "All-Atlantic Sun". The Tennessean. Nashville, Tennessee. March 4, 2020. p. B3. Retrieved January 13, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
  37. ^ a b c Sordelett, Damien (March 5, 2023). "'It's going to be even crazier'". The News & Advance. Lynchburg, Virginia. p. C5. Retrieved January 13, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
  38. ^ "Cozart Earns ASUN Player Of The Year & Defensive Player Of The Year Awards, Hamilton Named Coach Of The Year". Eastern Kentucky University Athletics. Retrieved 2024-03-05.