2023-24 CUSA MBB Postseason Awards (PDF)
 
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 of the Year). The CUSA awards are voted on by the league’s coaches, sports information directors and a media representative from each school.  
 
LA Tech’s Isaiah Crawford becomes the third Bulldog to be named Player of the Year, joining Alex Hamilton in 2016 and Kenneth “Speedy” Smith in 2015. Crawford also joins Smith as the only LA Tech student-athletes to garner both Player of the Year and Defensive Player of the Year honors. A do-it-all star for the Bulldogs, Crawford is the only DI player with at least 400 points, 150 rebounds, 50 assists, 50 steals and 50 blocks this season.
 
Crawford ranked in the top-three in CUSA play in scoring (2^nd, 17.9), field-goal percentage (3^rd, .495), blocks (2^nd, 2.2), steals (3^rd, 2.2) and minutes per game (1^st, 35.2), while finishing seventh in rebounding (6.1). He tied for the league lead with six 20-point performances against CUSA foes. Crawford has anchored the top defense in CUSA, ranking in the top-50 nationally in steals (2.13) and blocks (1.77) per game. 
 
UTEP’s David Terrell Jr., who claimed all six of his CUSA Freshman of the Week titles this season during conference play, is the league’s Freshman of the Year. The Dallas native averaged 6.4 points, 2.1 rebounds, 1.8 assists and 1.5 steals per game in 23.3 minutes per contest off the bench for the Miners in league play. Terrell Jr. posted season-highs in points (12) and rebounds (five) in a 74-49 win over rival NM State on Feb. 10.
 
Sam Houston head coach Chris Mudge claimed the Gene Bartow Coach of the Year honor after leading the Bearkats to an outright conference title in their debut season in CUSA and his first year as a head coach. Following the departure of three All-WAC selections, Mudge was tasked with melding seven newcomers into the fold. Sam Houston closed the season on a seven-game winning streak, including road wins at UTEP, NM State and LA Tech, who were a combined 39-10 at home this season.
 
LA Tech’s Daniel Batcho, a Texas Tech transfer, garnered Newcomer of the Year honors after he impressed in his first year with the Bulldogs. He leads CUSA and ranks in the top-40 nationally in blocks per game (2.37), offensive rebounds per game (3.81), rebounds per game (9.8) and field-goal percentage (.579), while averaging 14.9 points per contest. Batcho registered a CUSA-leading 10 double-doubles, including four during league play.
 
WKU’s Rodney Howard picked up the Sixth Player of the Year award after he anchored a top-25 bench scoring output (28.7) with 10 points per game. He came off the bench for all 16 league showdowns and averaged 10.6 points on 56.9 percent shooting to go with 5.0 rebounds and 1.1 assists per contest. In a win over LA Tech on Feb. 7, Howard recorded a season-high 18 points, thanks to a 10-11 clip from the free-throw line.
 
The All-CUSA First Team consisted of Crawford, Batcho, Jax State’s KyKy Tandy, Sam Houston’s Lamar Wilkerson and WKU’s Don McHenry.
 
Tandy consistently led CUSA in scoring throughout the season in the Gamecocks’ debut season in CUSA. He registered at least 20 points in 10 games, including a career-high 35 in their first CUSA contest against FIU. Tandy is the only player to rank in the top-five in field-goal percentage, three-point percentage and free-throw percentage, which he leads the league with an 88.4 percent clip.
 
Wilkerson led Sam Houston in scoring (13.9) while averaging 3.6 rebounds, 1.4 assists and a steal per game. He set the Bearkats up for success in league play with four-straight 20-point games to begin CUSA play.  In a win over NM State on Feb. 22, Wilkerson knocked down all seven three-point attempts in the first half on his way to 25 points.
 
McHenry accounts for team-highs in scoring (15.2), field-goal percentage (.464) and assists per game (2.5). He charted 20-point efforts in five-straight games from Feb. 1-15, including 20 points in a win over LA Tech and 24 in a victory over Jax State that netted him his second CUSA Player of the Week award.
 
The All-CUSA Second Team is made up of Liberty’s Zach Cleveland and Kyle Rode, MTSU’s Jestin Porter, Sam Houston’s Davon Barnes and UTEP’s Tae Hardy.
 
The All-CUSA Third Team includes FIU’s Arturo Dean, LA Tech’s Tahlik Chavez, Liberty’s Kaden Metheny, MTSU’s Jared Coleman-Jones and NM State’s Femi Odukale.
 
The five honorees for the All-Defensive Team were Crawford, Batcho, Dean, Liberty’s Joseph Venzant, and UTEP’s Otis Frazier III.
 
Terrell Jr., along with Miner teammates Elijah Jones and Trey Horton III, and MTSU’s Chris Loofe and WKU’s Teagan Moore were named to the All-Freshman team.  
 
Please see the attached PDF for the full list of awards, including Honorable Mention selections.