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Hines, Hickman earn All-SoCon, McClenny named to all-freshman
CHARLESTON, SC – UNC Greensboro’s Kyle Hines and Ricky Hickman were both named to the Southern Conference’s All-Conference team when the coaches’ selections were announced Wednesday afternoon, the day before the conference tournament begins.
In addition, freshman David McClenny was named to the conference’s all-freshman team.
Hines and Hickman, the first two players in the school’s Division I era to score more than 500 points in a season, were named to the 10-member team. It was Hines’ second straight selection and Hickman’s first. The duo was also honored by the Southern Conference’s media association with Hines earning first-team honors and Hickman garnering second-team accolades.
Hines, a 6-6 sophomore from Sicklerville, NJ who finished second on the media association’s ballot for Player of the Year, leads the SoCon in double-doubles with nine. He is fourth in the league in scoring, averaging 19.0 ppg. He also leads in rebounding (8.1), blocked shots (2.8) and is tied for the lead in field goal percentage (62.3 percent). He shot an incredible 69.5 percent from the floor against SoCon competition, scoring 19.6 points per game.
Hines could become the first player since 1977 to lead the SoCon in field goal percentage in consecutive seasons and the first ever to do it as a freshman and sophomore. Hines also ranks among the conference leaders in steals and minutes played. The 2005 Southern Conference Freshman of the Year, he is eight points shy of the school’s sophomore scoring record and has an outside shot at surpassing the 1,000 career point mark before the end of this season.
Hickman, a 6-3 guard from Kernersville, NC, is second in the league in scoring at 19.3 ppg. He averaged 20.2 ppg against conference opponents this season. He also leads the conference in steals and is eighth in three-pointers per game. Earlier this season, Hickman became the 13th player in school history to record 1,000 career points and just the fifth to do so in their junior season. He currently sits ninth on the school’s career scoring list and enters the conference tournament with a school-record streak of 27 consecutive games scoring in double figures and a string of 24 straight games with a three-pointer.
McClenny, a 6-9 freshman from Raleigh, NC, averaged 5.3 points and 2.8 rebounds in his rookie campaign. One of only three Spartans to appear in all 29 games this season, McClenny’s averaged jumped up to 6.6 points and 3.4 rebounds per contest against conference foes.
Georgia Southern’s Elton Nesbitt was named the SoCon Player of the Year on both the coaches’ and media ballots. College of Charleston’s Jermaine Johnson was selected the Freshman of the Year on both ballots, as was Elon’s Ernie Nestor for the conference’s Coach of the Year.
UNCG opens the SoCon Tournament in the first round on Thursday against Western Carolina at approximately 6 pm.
AGATE
COACHES ALL-CONFERENCE
D.J. Thompson, Appalachian State
Dontaye Draper, College of Charleston
Ian Johnson, Davidson
Brendan Winters , Davidson
Chris Chalko, Elon
Moussa Diagne, Furman
Elton Nesbitt, Georgia Southern
Ricky Hickman, UNC Greensboro
Kyle Hines, UNC Greensboro
Howard Wilkerson, Wofford
ALL-FRESHMAN TEAM
Jermaine Johnson, College of Charleston
Brett James, Elon
Stanley Jones, Furman
Jadee Jones, Furman
David McClenny, UNC Greensboro
COACHES INDIVIDUAL AWARD WINNERS
Player of the Year – Elton Nesbitt, Georgia
Southern
Freshman of the Year – Jermaine Johnson,
College of Charleston
Coach of the Year – Ernie Nestor, Elon
MEDIA ALL-CONFERENCE
FIRST TEAM
D.J. Thompson, Appalachian State
Dontaye Draper, College of Charleston
Brendan Winters , Davidson
Elton Nesbitt, Georgia Southern
Kyle Hines, UNC Greensboro
SECOND TEAM
Ian Johnson, Davidson
Chris Chalko, Elon
Robby Bostain, Furman
Ricky Hickman, UNC Greensboro
Howard Wilkerson, Wofford
THIRD TEAM
Josh Jackson, College of Charleston
Kenny Grant, Davidson
Moussa Diagne, Furman
Louis Graham, Georgia Southern
Donte Gennie , Georgia Southern
Shane Nichols, Wofford
MEDIA INDIVIDUAL AWARD WINNERS
Player of the Year – Elton Nesbitt, Georgia
Southern
Freshman of the Year – Jermaine Johnson,
College of Charleston
Coach of the Year – Ernie Nestor, Elon
- UNCG -
