SPARTANBURG, S.C. – The Southern Conference announced its 2018-19 men's basketball all-conference teams on Wednesday, as Wofford senior guard Fletcher Magee was named the SoCon player of the year and Mike Young was named coach of the year by both the coaches and media.
In addition to being named player of the year, Magee and fellow senior Cameron Jackson were both named first team All-SoCon by the coaches and the SoCon Sports Media Association (SCSMA).
Magee, who was named the Malcolm U. Pitt Player of the Year by the SCSMA last season, is one of only two Terriers to earn the award (Karl Cochran, 2011-12), becoming the first two-time winner in program history. The senior joins Cochran and Noah Dahlman (2009-10) as the only players in Wofford history to be named player of the year by the league's coaches. In conference games, Magee led all scorers with an average of 22.9 points per game in 18 contests, shooting a red hot 47.6 percent from the floor and 46.8 percent from 3-point range. The Orlando, Florida, native scored 18-plus points in 16 games, scoring 30 or more four times, including a season-high 36 in the regular-season finale at Samford. With 490 career 3-pointers, Magee is just 15 threes shy of breaking the NCAA Division I record for made 3-pointers (Travis Bader, Oakland), knocking down five or more threes in 13-of-18 contests, draining seven or more five times.
"Fletcher has another outstanding season for our team and is incredibly deserving of this recognition," said Wofford head coach Mike Young. "I have never had a young man as committed to becoming a great player as Fletch, and I have had many hard workers. It has been a privilege and a joy to coach him."
Magee was named SoCon Player of the Month for both January and February, being named SoCon Player of the Week once in February (2/11) and once in March (3/3). The shooting guard lead the team in minutes played (32.1), grabbing 42 rebounds, dishing out 34 assists and totaling 11 steals to help lift Wofford to its perfect 18-0 SoCon season. Magee, who paces the SoCon in free-throw percentage (93.4), made 3-pointers (94) and 3-point field goal percentage (46.8), currently leads the nation in 3-point field goals per game (4.63) and 3-point field goals made (139), ranking second with a free throw percentage of 92.7. Magee, who was the freshman of the year in 2015-16, has now been named first team All-SoCon by both the coaches and media for the third straight year.
Young, who is also a finalist for the Werner Ladder Naismith Men's College Coach of the Year award, has guided Wofford to a 26-4 overall record thus far this season, going undefeated in Southern Conference play (18-0) and garnering the program's first ever Associated Press Top 25 ranking as the Terriers were ranked No. 24 in the AP Poll on February 25. Wofford, whose only four losses were to teams that have all been ranked in the AP Top 25 this season (North Carolina, Oklahoma, Kansas, Mississippi State), has not dropped a game since December 19, capping off the regular season with three straight road wins and a No. 22 overall ranking in the AP Poll.
This marks the fourth time that Young has been voted coach of the year by his contemporaries (2009-10, 2013-14, 2014-15), and the third time he has been named the Anton Foy Coach of the Year by the SCSMA (2009-10, 2014-15). In his 17 years at the helm of the program, Young has amassed a record of 295-243, going 175-124 in the Southern Conference, second only to Davidson's Bob McKillop for wins at a SoCon school and is the active leader in that category.
"It is nice to be recognized by your peers for a successful season," said Young. "I share this recognition with a heavy emphasis on our team, without whom, this would not be possible, and our coaching staff. Jay McAuley, Kevin Giltner, Will Murphy and David Land are amazing men and their contributions are undeniable."
Jackson has been a force all season for the Terriers, averaging 14.2 points per game and 7.2 rebounds per game in SoCon contests, en route to All-SoCon first team honors. Jackson, who was named second team All-SoCon last season, ranks fourth in the conference in field goal percentage (56.2) and steals (31), tying for fifth in blocks (21) and third in assist to turnover ratio (1.9). Jackson, who was named SoCon Player of the Month for the month of December, reached double figures in 14-of-18 matchups, recording three double-doubles. The forward, who totaled 130 rebounds in conference play, grabbed eight or more boards in 10 games, including a season-high 13 against Chattanooga (Jan. 26).
The Winchester, Virginia, native who leads Wofford in both blocks (33) and steals (48), ranks third all-time at Wofford with 123 career blocks and sixth with 164 steals. Jackson recently tied Cochran and Lee Skinner for most games played in a Terrier uniform (133), and his 57.4 field-goal percentage for the season ranks him 35th in Division I. For the season, Jackson has started all 30 games, averaging 14.5 points and 7.5 rebounds per game, totaling six double-doubles including a 15 point, 10 rebound performance at No. 2 Kansas (Dec. 4).
"I am sure Cameron was also close to being our league's player of the year," Young said. "He has been that good and his contributions to our basketball program throughout his career have been profound."
The Terriers, who are the No. 1 seed in the upcoming SoCon Tournament, will face either No. 8 seed VMI (10-20, 4-14) or Western Carolina (7-24, 4-14), who open the tournament with a first-round contest on Friday at 5 p.m.
Coaches All-Southern Conference Men's Basketball Teams
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Player of the Year
Fletcher Magee, Sr., G, Wofford
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Freshman of the Year
Kevin Easley, G, Chattanooga
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Defensive Player of the Year
Isaiah Miller, So., G, UNCG
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Coach of the Year
Mike Young, Wofford
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First team
Matt Rafferty, Furman
Francis Alonso, UNCG
Isaiah Miller, UNCG
Cameron Jackson, Wofford
Fletcher Magee, Wofford
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Second team
Lew Stallworth, The Citadel
Jeromy Rodriguez, ETSU
Ross Cummings, Mercer
Josh Sharkey, Samford
Bubba Parham, VMI
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Third team
Patrick Good, ETSU
Bo Hodges, ETSU
Jordan Lyons, Furman
Kevin Easley, Chattanooga
Carlos Dotson, Western Carolina
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All-freshman team
Daivien Williamson, ETSU
Noah Gurley, Furman
Robert Allen, Samford
Kevin Easley, Chattanooga
Kameron Gibson, Western Carolina
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SoCon Sports Media Association (SCSMA)
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Malcolm U. Pitt Player of the Year
Fletcher Magee, Sr., G, Wofford
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Freshman of the Year
Kevin Easley, G, Chattanooga
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Anton Foy Coach of the Year
Mike Young, Wofford
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First team
Jeromy Rodriguez, ETSU
Matt Rafferty, Furman
Francis Alonso, UNCG
Cameron Jackson, Wofford
Fletcher Magee, Wofford
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Second team
Lew Stallworth, The Citadel
Ross Cummings, Mercer
Isaiah Miller, UNCG
Josh Sharkey, Samford
Bubba Parham, VMI
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Third team
Zane Najdawi, The Citadel
Bo Hodges, ETSU
Jordan Lyons, Furman
James Dickey, UNCG
Carlos Dotson, Western Carolina
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All-freshman team
Daivien Williamson, ETSU
Noah Gurley, Furman
Robert Allen, Samford
Kevin Easley, Chattanooga
Kameron Gibson, Western Carolina
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