2017-18 Conference Carolinas Men's Basketball All-Conference and Major Awards Announced
HIGH POINT, N.C. – King University guard Jordan Floyd headlines the 2017-18 Conference Carolinas Men's Basketball Awards as he was unanimously voted the Conference Carolinas Men's Basketball Player of the Year. University of Mount Olive guard Jamaal Matin was garnered the Conference's Defensive Player of the Year. The final two major awards went to the Lees-McRae College duo of Quay Kimble and Steve Hardin. Kimble unanimously earned Freshman of the Year honors, while Hardin took home the Conference Carolinas Men's Basketball Coach of the Year, the Conference announced today.
Floyd, a junior from Stone Mountain, Ga., led Conference Carolinas in scoring averaging 21.5 points per game for the Tornado this season. He scored at least 30 points in seven games this season while scoring at least 20 points in 15 games. Floyd finished the season strong by scoring at least 20 points in nine of King’s last 11 games, including a career-high 36 against rival Lees-McRae on Feb. 23 to earn King the 2017-18 regular season Conference Carolinas championship. In addition to his 21.5 points per game, he also averaged two rebounds and 2.3 assists per game.
Matin, a junior from Virginia Beach, Va., notches the defensive player of the year after averaging 3.9 rebounds and 1.3 steals for the Trojans. His 39 total steals ranked fifth in the league, while his steals per game ranked seventh. In addition to his defensive prowess, Matin poured in 11.4 points and two assists per game.
Kimble, a native of Shelby, N.C., has been an instrumental part of Lees-McRae’s success this year, playing in 27 of the team’s 29 games this season. The point guard averaged 9.9 points, 3.4 assists and 3.3 rebounds per game and scored 10+ points in 13 contests.
Hardin led the Bobcats to several program bests or firsts in 2017-18, as he coached LMC to the most wins in program history with 21 victories along with the program’s first-ever regional ranking. In his sixth season as Head Coach, Hardin has led the Bobcats to three of the most winningest seasons in program history with 21 wins in 2017-18, 16 in 2015-16 and 15 in 2014-15.
Floyd was joined on the first team by Lees-McRae's Lepreece Lynch, Limestone College's Kenny Hairston, Barton College's Bobby Stenborg and Belmont Abbey College's DeQuan Abrom.
Men's All-Conference Carolinas First Team
Jordan Floyd, King*
Lepreece Lynch, Lees-McRae
Kenny Hairston, Limestone
Bobby Stenborg, Barton
DeQuan Abrom, Belmont Abbey
Men's All-Conference Carolinas Second Team
Je'Don Young, King
Mack Owens, King
Austin Venable, Erskine
Jamaal Matin, Mount Olive
Daniel Burchette, North Greenville
Men's All-Conference Carolinas Third Team
Dominique Tham, Mount Olive
Jason Saintizaire, Lees-McRae
Isaiah Buck-Lowman, Barton
Justice McCullough, Southern Wesleyan
Jordan Turner, Lees-McRae
Player of the Year
Jordan Floyd, King*
Defensive Player of the Year
Jamaal Matin, Mount Olive
Freshman of the Year
Quay Kimble, Lees-McRae*
Coach of the Year
Steve Hardin, Lees-McRae
Men's Basketball Regular Season Champion
King University
* denotes unanimous selection
Conference Carolinas is a NCAA Division II athletics conference made up of 11 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, 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.