SoCon Announces All-Conference & Media Awards

GREENSBORO, N.C. – The UNC Greensboro (UNCG) men's basketball team saw two major awards from the Southern Conference (SoCon), while also earning three All-Conference honors.
 
Head Coach Mike Jones earned his first SoCon Coach of the Year award after an impressive 20-10 overall record and a 14-4 SoCon mark in his second year at the helm of the Spartans. Jones helped transform the Spartans this season after a 17-15 overall 2021-22 season and 9-9 in the conference. The Spartans were tied for first in the conference for most of the season, leading up to the last week of play. The Blue & Gold were voted to finish third in the Preseason Coaches' Poll and ultimately finished third in the regular season. Jones is UNCG men's basketball's second Coach of the Year after Wes Miller earned the honor during the 2017-18 season. Jones earned his 200th career win as a head coach on Wednesday, January 4 with a 73-61 win over Chattanooga at the Greensboro Coliseum.
 
Jones has led the team to be ranked in the nation in multiple categories, including 23rd in field goal percentage defense (40.3), 33rd in scoring defense (64.4), 52nd in defensive rebounds per game (26.61), 58th in rebounds per game (37.03) and scoring margin (7.8), 66th in rebound margin (3.7), 70th in turnover margin (1.7), 71st in assist/turnover ratio (1.23), 78th assists per game (14.6), 90th in steals per game (7.3), 93rd in three point percentage defense (32.3), and 96th in winning percentage (64.5).
 
The Spartans are leading the conference in field goal percentage defense, rebound margin, rebounds per game, and scoring defense.
 
Kobe Langley was recognized by the coaches as the Defensive Player of the Year. This is the Spartans' fifth time earning the recognition in six years, as Isaiah Miller earned it three times (2018-19, 2019-20, 2020-21) and James Dickey earned the award in 2017-18. In the nation, he is ranked 28th in assist/turnover ratio (2.68), 51st in steals (56), and 81st in steals per game (1.81). He is leading the conference in assist/turnover ratio and second in steals and steals per game. He is also fifth in the conference in assists (3.5).
 
This season, Kobe has had career numbers in total assists with 110 and steals, totaling 56. He reached the 100-assist mark this season in Birmingham, Alabama against Samford.
 
Keyshaun Langley was named to the Coaches and Media All-SoCon first teams. This is his third and fourth recognitions from the conference, as he was named to the 2019-20 Coaches & Media All-Freshman teams. He is leading the team in scoring averaging 14.7 points per game, which is 11th in the conference. His 57 steals and 1.8 steals per game lead the conference and team, just surpassing his brother. His .429 three-point field goal percentage and 90 three-point field goals made are third in the conference, which both also lead the team. Langley scored a career-best 28 points in the Spartans' 20th win of the season, a 71-52 win over Western Carolina.
 
Nationally, he is ranked 12th in three-point percentage, 17th in total three-point field goals made, 30th in three pointers per game, 46th in steals, 52nd in three-point attempts, and 71st in steals per game. This season, Keyshaun has had career numbers in field goals made (160), field goal percentage (44.69), three-pointers made (90), three-point field goal percentage (42.86), points (457), points per game (14.74), offensive rebounds (12), defensive rebounds (79), total rebounds (91), rebounds per game (2.94), and steals (57). He scored his 1,000-career point during the first half of a 62-50 win over VMI at the Greensboro Coliseum this season.
 
Keondre Kennedy saw his name on the Coaches All-SoCon third team after transferring to UNCG after four years at UMBC. With the Spartans, he has had career numbers in free throws (69), offensive rebounds (32), defensive rebounds (147), total rebounds (179), rebounds per game (6.17), steals (29), and blocks (18). He has also totaled four double-doubles this season, his first career one was on November 7, 2022, versus Johnson & Wales (CLT) scoring 16 points and 11 rebounds. He reached the 1,000-career point milestone this season, as well, during the first half of an 88-80 overtime victory against Furman on Jan. 14 in Greenville, S.C.
 
He is leading the team with a .821 free throw percentage, 0.6 blocked shots per game. Kennedy is second on the team with 13.3 points per game, 6.2 rebounds per game, .392 three-point field goal percentage, 60 three-point field goals made, 5.1 defensive rebounds per game. Among the conference he is fifth in defensive rebounds per game, seventh in free throw percentage and three-point field goals made, eighth in three-point field goal percentage, 10th in rebounds per game and blocked shots per game. He has totaled 22 games this season with double figure points as well as four games with double figure rebounds.
 
This season, the Spartans put together their sixth 20-win season in their last seven tries. This was the first 20-win season under Head Coach Mike Jones. This was the sixth time in Jones' career that he has reached 20 or more victories in a season. UNCG scored 90 or more points five times this season, going 5-0 in those games. The Spartans also scored 120 points versus Warren Wilson on December 18, which is a new Division I record for the Blue & Gold.
 
Up Next
The No. 3 Spartans will face the No. 6 Wofford Terriers on Saturday, March 4 with a tip off slated for 8:30 p.m. in a 2023 SoCon Tournament quarterfinal game. The game will be broadcast on ESPN+ and Nexstar affiliates.

Coaches All-Southern Conference Men's Basketball Teams
 
Player of the Year
Jalen Slawson, 5th, F, FUR
 
Freshman of the Year
Jackson Paveletzke, G, WOF
 
Defensive Player of the Year
Kobe Langley, Sr., G, UNCG
 
Coach of the Year
Mike Jones, UNCG
 
First team
Mike Bothwell, 5th, G, Furman
Jalen Slawson, 5th, F, Furman
Keyshaun Langley, Sr., G, UNCG
Logan Dye, Sr., F, Samford
B.J. Mack, Sr., F/C, Wofford
 
Second team
Stephen Clark, Sr., F, The Citadel
Ques Glover, Jr., G, Samford
Jake Stephens, Gr., C, Chattanooga
Tre Jackson, Jr., G, Western Carolina
Vonterius Woolbright, Jr., G, Western Carolina
 
Third team
Jalen Haynes, So., F/C, ETSU
Jordan King, Jr., G, ETSU
Jalyn McCreary, Jr., F, Mercer
Keondre Kennedy, Gr., G/F, UNCG
Jermaine Marshall, Jr., F, Samford
 
All-freshman team
Ben VanderWal, F, Furman
Jah Quinones, G, Mercer
Sam Alexis, F/C, Chattanooga
Asher Woods, G, VMI
Jackson Paveletzke, Fr., G, Wofford
 
 
SoCon Sports Media Association
 
Malcolm U. Pitt Player of the Year
Jalen Slawson, 5th, F, FUR
 
Freshman of the Year
Jackson Paveletzke, G, WOF
 
Anton Foy Coach of the Year
Bucky McMillan, Samford
 
First team
Mike Bothwell, 5th, G, Furman
Jalen Slawson, 5th, F, Furman
Keyshaun Langley, Sr., G, UNCG
Jake Stephens, Gr., C, Chattanooga
B.J. Mack, Sr., F/C, Wofford
 
Second team
Stephen Clark, Sr., F, The Citadel
Logan Dye, Sr., F, Samford
Jermaine Marshall, Jr., F, Samford
Tre Jackson, Jr., G, Western Carolina
Vonterius Woolbright, Jr., G, Western Carolina
 
Third team
Jordan King, Jr., G, ETSU
Jalyn McCreary, Jr., F, Mercer
Ques Glover, Jr., G, Samford
Tyzhaun Claude, Jr., F, Western Carolina
Jackson Paveletzke, Fr., G, Wofford
 
All-freshman team
Madison Durr, G, The Citadel
Jah Quinones, G, Mercer
Asher Woods, G, VMI
Tyler Houser, C, VMI
Jackson Paveletzke, Fr., G, Wofford