SPARTANBURG, S.C. – The 2012 Southern Conference men’s basketball postseason awards were announced on Tuesday, following a balloting of the league’s head coaches. Wofford’s Brad Loesing was named the Defensive Player of the Year, while guard Karl Cochran was named the league’s Freshman of the Year. Kevin Giltner earned a spot on the All-Conference team, along with Loesing.

Davidson head coach Bob McKillop was named the league’s Coach of the Year, while the Wildcats’ sophomore forward De’Mon Brooks was named the 2012 Player of the Year.

Loesing, a senior from Cincinnati, Ohio, won the league’s Defensive Player of the Year Award after a solid all-around senior campaign for the Terriers. One of the top on-ball defenders in the league, the first team Academic All-American distinguished himself as one of the more durable players in the conference, averaging a league-high 38.3 minutes per game. Loesing started all 31 games for the Terriers and is the first Terrier to earn Defensive Player of the Year honors.

Cochran, from Marietta, Georgia, was the league’s top-scoring freshman this season, averaging 11.2 points per game.  He was the third-leading scorer for the Terriers and scored in double figures in 18 games.  Cochran started 25 of 31 games for the Terriers and finished second on the team in assists and third in rebounding. He is only the second Wofford player to be named Freshman of the Year, joining Ian Chadwick (1997-98 season). 

Giltner, a senior from Kingston Springs, Tennessee, leads the Terriers in scoring with 15.3 points per game. He is fifth in the SoCon in scoring, third in three point field goals made and eighth in free throw percentage. He is also second in the conference in minutes played at 37.9 per game.

College of Charleston’s Antwaine Wiggins and Trent Wiedeman garnered all-conference honors. They were joined by Davidson’s Jake Cohen and Brooks, along with Wofford’s Giltner and Loesing. Also earning All-SoCon honors were Mike Groselle of The Citadel, Elon’s Jack Isenbarger, and sophomores Eric Ferguson of Georgia Southern and Trevis Simpson of UNCG.  A total of seven schools had at least one player on the all-conference team. 

Cochran garnered a spot on the all-freshman team where he was joined by Adjehi Baru (College of Charleston), Austin Hamilton (Elon), Tyler Hood (Samford) and Raijon Kelly (Samford).

Wofford will open play in the 2011 Southern Conference Tournament on Saturday, March 3 at approximately 2:30 pm against the winner of the Western Carolina/The Citadel game.

All-Conference Team
Trent Wiedeman, College of Charleston
Antwaine Wiggins, College of Charleston
Mike Groselle, The Citadel
De’Mon Brooks, Davidson
Jake Cohen, Davidson
Jack Isenbarger, Elon
Eric Ferguson, Georgia Southern
Trevis Simpson, UNCG
Kevin Giltner, Wofford
Brad Loesing, Wofford

All-Freshman Team
Adjehi Baru, College of Charleston
Austin Hamilton, Elon
Tyler Hood, Samford
Raijon Kelly, Samford
Karl Cochran, Wofford

Player of the Year
De’Mon Brooks, So., F, Davidson

Defensive Player of the Year
Brad Loesing, Sr., G, Wofford

Freshman of the Year
Karl Cochran, G, Wofford

Coach of the Year
Bob McKillop, Davidson