2022 C-USA All-Conference Awards

DALLAS – Conference USA has announced its postseason Men’s Basketball All-Conference, All-Freshman, All-Defensive Teams along with the Superlative Awards (Newcomer, Sixth Player, Defensive, Freshman, Player and Coach). The C-USA awards are voted on by the league’s coaches, sports information directors and a media representative from each school.
 
UAB’s Jordan Walker became the first Blazer to be named Player of the Year since 2011, while Charlotte’s Aly Khalifa, who won six Freshman of the Week awards this season, is the Freshman of the Year and Middle Tennessee head coach Nick McDevitt claimed the Gene Bartow Coach of the Year honor, after he led the Blue Raiders to a 22-9 overall record and the C-USA East Division Regular Season Title.
 
Walker led the league in scoring averaging 21.6 points and also led in assists with 5.33 per night during C-USA action. Khalifa was a presence for Charlotte in his first year, finishing the regular season averaging 7.6 points, 4.1 rebounds and 3.5 assists, including leading Conference USA in assist/turnover ratio with 106 assists to just 52 turnovers, while starting in 29 of the Niners 30 regularly scheduled contests. McDevitt turned around a 5-18 team from 2020-21 and took his squad to a 22-9 record this year, winning the East Division to become the first MTSU coach to win the honor since 2017.  
 
WKU’s Jamarion Sharp was named the Defensive Player of the Year, making him the second-straight Hilltopper to be recognized for their defensive prowess. Sharp leads the nation in total blocks at 142. UAB’s Walker earned another major honor in his first year in C-USA, as he was named the Newcomer of the Year becoming the third C-USA player to win both honors in the last five years. North Texas’ Tylor Perry picked up the Sixth Player of the Year award after he came off the bench to be key in numerous Mean Green wins helping lead them to the West Division Regular Season Championship.

The C-USA All-First Team consisted of Charlotte’s Jahmir Young, LA Tech’s Kenneth Lofton, Jr., North Texas’ Perry, UAB’s Walker and WKU’s Dayvion McKnight.

Young, who was a preseason All-Conference honoree, earned All-Conference First Team honors for the second-straight year and was a third-team selection as a freshman. He finished the C-USA slate third in scoring at 19.6 ppg. Lofton, Jr., another repeat All-Conference selection, leads the league with 16 double-doubles and had a team-high 67 assists during C-USA play which ranked ninth overall in the league.
 
Perry averaged 13.7 points off the bench while knocking in many game-winners, including ones at LA Tech and at UAB that helped North Texas to its 16-2 overall C-USA record. The newcomer, who was the 2021 NJCAA D1 National Tournament MVP, had 21 double-digit scoring efforts on the year.
 
Walker added First Team All-Conference honors to his list on Monday becoming the first Blazer First Team selection since 2016 and was also the first UAB player to earn Player of the Week honors three times in one season in UAB program history. WKU’s Dayvion McKnight finished the regular season averaging 5.68 assists per game, which ranks 15^th nationally to go along with 16.06 points, which placed him sixth overall in the year in C-USA.
 
The five honorees for the All-Defensive Team were Cobe Williams (LA Tech), Thomas Bell (North Texas), JJ Murray (North Texas), Quan Jackson (UAB) and Jamarion Sharp (WKU).
 
While Charlotte’s Aly Khalifa, LA Tech’s Kaleb Stewart, Middle Tennessee’s Teafale Lenard, Jr., North Texas’ Aaron Scott and Southern Miss’ Rashad Bolden were named to the All-Freshman team.
 
Please see the attached PDF for the full list of awards, including All-Conference Second Team, Third Team and Honorable Mention.

The 2022 Heritage Landscape Supply Group Conference USA Men's Basketball Championship tips off on Tuesday, March 8 at the Star at Ford Center in Frisco, Texas.