Men's Basketball | March 05, 2024

AIKEN, S.C. – After a tremendous regular season, Tyler Johnson has been named PBC Player of the Year presented by College Ave while Tehree Horn and Jalen McCoy also garnered all-conference honors. Head coach Mark Vanderslice has been named the Herbert Greene Coach of the Year.

Johnson and Horn both earned first-team all-league honors while McCoy picked up third-team honors. The trio guided the Pacers to their second consecutive No. 1 seed.

In conference-only play, Johnson accounted for 18.1 points per game, marking the second-best average in the PBC. His 7.1 boards per night in league play marked the third most this season. Johnson's 47.5 percent field goal percentage is the sixth best in PBC play. He drained 116-of-244 from the field. Johnson finished 10^th in free throw percentage (80.6 percent). He also ranked fifth in three-point field goals per game (2.2). Johnson's 34 steals are the second most in PBC play. He scored a career-high 34 in the victory at USC Beaufort. Eight times Johnson scored at least 20 points, including two times over 30. This marked the fourth time a Pacer has picked up the honor (Chris Commons – 2007-08, 2008-09, Re'Mon Nelson – 2012-13). He garnered PBC Player of the Week honors on March 4.      

Horn, who just established the career scoring mark for USC Aiken during its Division II era, finished sixth in scoring in PBC games by netting 17.2 points per night. Horn finished the season fourth in PBC games by hitting 51.5 percent of his shots, draining 120-of-233 from the floor. He finished tied for 10^thin PBC play by hitting 1.8 three-point field goals per game. Horn netted at least 20 points 10 times this season, including a season-best 27 in the win at Flagler. He picked up PBC Player of the Week honors on Feb. 12.    

McCoy, who missed more than a month of time with an injury, secured third-team honors with his outstanding season. Overall, he averaged 18.3 points per game while hitting 59.4 percent of his shots from the floor. McCoy averaged 5.6 boards per night and registered 16 steals on the year. He erupted for a career-high 35 points at Georgia College & State on 13-of-16 shooting from the floor and eight-of-eight from the foul line. McCoy was named PBC Player of the Week four times.

Vanderslice was tabbed the Herbert Greene Coach of the Year for the second consecutive season and the third time in his career (2016-17, 2022-23, 2023-24). Picked to finish second in the PBC Preseason Poll, Vanderslice's team knocked off North Georgia and Lander in the final two games of the season to secure the outright PBC Championship while claiming the No. 1 seed in the PBC Tournament. Vanderslice's team sports a 23-5 overall record, including a 14-4 mark in PBC play. The 23 victories marks the third time at the helm of the program the squad has won at least 20 games (27 in 2018-19, 24 in 2022-23).

2024 Men's Basketball
All-Conference Team
 
First Team
Frank Champion, North Georgia
Tehree Horn, USC Aiken
Tyler Johnson, USC Aiken
Inady Legiste, Lander
AJ White, North Georgia
 
Second Team
Malik Bryant, Flagler
Destin Clark, Flagler
Demitri Gardner, Augusta
Jalen Johnson, Georgia Southwestern
Brendan Rigsbee, Georgia College & State University
 
Third Team
Jarrett Adderton, Columbus State
Phillip Burwell, Lander
Jacob Cooper, Lander
Jalen McCoy, USC Aiken
Marcus Overstreet, USC Beaufort
 
Player of the Year presented by College Ave
Tyler Johnson, USC Aiken
 
Defensive Player of the Year presented by College Ave
Jalen Barr, Flagler
 
Freshman of the Year presented by College Ave
Marcus Overstreet, USC Beaufort
 
Elite 18 Award presented by Barnes & Noble College
Jaylen Dibble, Lander
 
Herbert Greene Coach of the Year
Mark Vanderslice, USC Aiken