2016-17 Conference Carolinas Men's Basketball All-Conference and Major Awards Announced
HIGH POINT, N.C. – Pfeiffer University's A.J. Clark headlines the 2016-17 Conference Carolinas Men's Basketball Awards as he was voted the Conference Carolinas Men's Basketball Player of the Year. Limestone College guard Shaq Dance was tabbed the Conference's Defensive Player of the Year, while Michael Boykin of Barton College was honored as the Freshman of the Year. Pfeiffer's head man Jeremy Currier rounded out the major awards, being named the Conference Carolinas Men's Basketball Coach of the Year, the Conference announced today.
Clark, a senior from Burlington, N.C., has scored in double digits in all but three contests for the Falcons on the season and had over 30 points on four occasions. Clark leads the league in scoring and is second in assists. The senior also ranks in the top 10 in the conference in: free throws made, free throw percentage, field goals made, three-pointers made and three-point percentage. Against conference opponents, Clark averages a league-high 24.0 points per game and shoots 46 percent from long range.
Dance, a senior from Garner, N.C., notches the defensive player of the year after averaging seven rebounds to go along with 1.9 steals and 1.3 blocks per game. He also poured in 19 points and 3.5 assists per contest.
Boykin, a native of Clinton, N.C., played in all 29 games and made 23 starts for Barton in his freshman season. He ranked second on the team and 15th in the league in scoring at 13.3 points per game. Boykin has reached double-figures in 22 of his 29 games played. Boykin has also contributed 3.6 rebounds and 3.2 assists per game, which ranks seventh in the conference.
Currier guided the Falcons to a 25-3 regular season mark and a share of their first Conference Carolinas regular season title since the 2004-05 season. Currier has his team ranked as the nation's leader in points per game, averaging 105.2 points per game. The Falcons are also in the top 10 in the nation in scoring margin, steals per game, turnover margin and won-lost percentage. Currier's Falcons posted a perfect 14-0 mark at home during the regular season and have broken the program record for most three-pointers made and steals.
Pfeiffer and Limestone would both place two players on the first team, as Clark was joined by teammate Andrew Guerrero, while Dance was joined by Shaun Stewart. Rounding out the first team would be King University forward Hunter LeVeau.
Men's All-Conference Carolinas First Team
A.J. Clark, Pfeiffer
Andrew Guerrero, Pfeiffer
Shaq Dance, Limestone
Shaun Stewart, Limestone
Hunter LeVeau, King
Men's All-Conference Carolinas Second Team
C.J. Good, King
Mike Smith, Pfeiffer
Deion Lane, Belmont Abbey
Daniel Westbrook, Barton
Darius Sharpe, Southern Wesleyan
Men's All-Conference Carolinas Third Team
Brannon Dark, Erskine
Miguel Cartagena, North Greenville
Josh Calhoun, Pfeiffer
Jamaal Matin, Mount Olive
R.J. Claypool, Barton
Player of the Year
A.J. Clark, Pfeiffer
Defensive Player of the Year
Shaq Dance, Limestone
Freshman of the Year
Michael Boykin, Barton
Coach of the Year
Jeremy Currier, Pfeiffer
Men's Basketball Regular Season Champion
Pfeiffer University & Limestone College
Conference Carolinas is a NCAA Division II athletics conference made up of 12 teams from Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Tennessee. These institutions consist of: Barton College, Belmont Abbey College, Converse College, Emmanuel College, Erskine College, King University, Lees-McRae College, Limestone College, University of Mount Olive, North Greenville University, Pfeiffer University, and Southern Wesleyan University. Emmanuel College is currently completing the NCAA DII Membership Process and will be fully competing in league championships in the near future.