FRISCO, Texas – Southeastern's Sam Hines Jr. has earned the Southland Conference's Men's Basketball Student-Athlete of the Year honor, the league announced Friday along with the All-Academic First and Second Teams. This marks the second consecutive year that a Southeastern player has claimed the honor.
Hines Jr. earned first team All-Southland Conference honors along with the conference's Newcomer of the Year award, leading the conference in scoring (16.7 ppg) and topped the Lions' roster in rebounding (6.4 rpg). He also earned the Southland's Player of the Week honor on January 13. Hines Jr. earned his master's in Business Administration with a 3.89 undergrad GPA.
Southland Conference All-Academic Teams are voted upon by the head coach, sports information director and an academic/compliance staff member from each school. Voting for one’s own athletes is not permitted.
To be eligible for all-academic distinction, an athlete must hold a minimum 3.25 cumulative grade point average through the semester prior to the sport’s championship, completed at least one full academic semester at the nominating school prior to the current season, and participated in at least 50 percent of the team’s competitions during the most recently completed season. Student-Athlete of the Year nominees must have held at least a 3.50 GPA and have completed at least one semester of athletic competition at the nominating school, including the current season.
*First Team All-Conference athletes who meet all-academic nomination criteria are automatically named to the all-academic team.
First Team
| Player |
School |
Position |
Class |
Hometown |
GPA |
Major |
| Sam Hines Jr.* |
Southeastern |
G |
Gr. |
Marietta, Ga. |
3.89 |
Business Administration |
| Bryson Dawkins* |
HCU |
G |
Jr. |
Dothan, Ala. |
3.55 |
Interdisciplinary Studies |
| Garry Clark III* |
A&M-Corpus Christi |
F |
Sr. |
St. Louis, Mo. |
3.35 |
University Studies |
| Dylan Hayman |
UIW |
F |
Sr. |
Healdsburg, Calif. |
3.61 |
General Business |
| Brody Rowbury |
Southeastern |
C |
Jr. |
Meridian, Idaho |
3.44 |
Business Administration |
Second Team
| Player |
School |
Position |
Class |
Hometown |
GPA |
Major |
| Stephen Giwa |
A&M-Corpus Christi |
C |
Gr. |
Houston, Texas |
3.66 |
MBA |
| Pierce Bazil |
HCU |
G |
Jr. |
Lincoln, Neb. |
3.74 |
Biblical Studies |
| Janko Bulajic |
Lamar |
F/C |
Jr. |
Niksic, Montengro |
3.63 |
Management Information |
| Isaac Williams |
A&M-Corpus Christi |
G |
Fr. |
Oklahoma City, OK |
3.44 |
General Business |
| Elijah Brooks |
HCU |
G |
Jr. |
Topeka, Kansas |
3.44 |
Interdisciplinary Studies |
| Khaliq Abdul-Mateen |
East Texas A&M |
G |
Gr. |
Houston, Texas |
3.50 |
Organization Development |