Trent Wiedeman (L) and Jelani Hewitt (R)
Hewitt and Wiedeman Earn Sun Belt Conference Awards
3/10/2015 11:02:00 AM | Men's Basketball
Jelani named Defensive Player of the Year and First Team All-SBC, Trent named to third-team
NEW ORLEANS – Georgia Southern's dynamic duo of Jelani Hewitt and Trent Wiedeman were honored by the Sun Belt Conference on Tuesday morning. Hewitt took home Defensive Player of the Year honors as well as a spot on the All-Sun Belt First Team. Wiedeman confirmed his preseason All-Sun Belt nod with All-Sun Belt Third Team honors.
The individual awards and all-conference teams were released following a vote by the league's head coaches and a selected media panel.
Hewitt led the Eagles this season to a second place finish in the league's final standings after the Eagles were picked T-9th in the preseason coaches' poll, just above Appalachian State who was ineligible for the postseason. Jelani scored 18.2 points per game offensively, but continued to do his best work on the defensive side of the ball, swiping 77 steals, the third highest single-season total in school history.
For his career, Hewitt set the school record in career steals, taking 252 over his four seasons. He matched a career-high in the penultimate game of the regular season, grabbing seven against UT Arlington as the Eagles erased a 17-point first half deficit and forced 25 total turnovers by the Mavs.
Wiedeman has made the most of his only season in the blue and white, ranking second on the team in scoring with 11.8 ppg and 5.5 rebounds per contest. He has provided the inside presence for Georgia Southern by leading the team in blocks while shooting well from all areas of the floor. In the regular season finale at Georgia State he dropped seven field goals for the third time in league play, coming three-points shy of a season-high.
Georgia Southern opens the 2015 Sun Belt Tournament on Saturday afternoon at 4:30 p.m. in the semifinals. The Eagles' will play an opponent to be decided later, but if seeding holds up, a date with ULM would be in the cards. Watch the Eagles' semifinal contest live on ESPN3 or listen on the Georgia Southern Sports Network from Learfield Sports.
All-session ticket books to this year's Sun Belt Basketball Championships March 11-15, in New Orleans are available for $99 at the Georgia Southern Ticket Office. Call 1-800-GSU-WINS! Student tickets for the tournament are free by showing your valid Georiga Southern Student ID.
Georgia Southern Athletics provides up-to-date information on all its sports through its official website, GSEagles.com, through social media channels facebook.com/GSAthletics, twitter.com/GSAthletics, iOS app Georgia Southern Eagles and Android app Eagles GATA. For tickets to Georgia Southern athletics events, call 1-800-GSU-WINS or visit GSEagles.com
The individual awards and all-conference teams were released following a vote by the league's head coaches and a selected media panel.
Hewitt led the Eagles this season to a second place finish in the league's final standings after the Eagles were picked T-9th in the preseason coaches' poll, just above Appalachian State who was ineligible for the postseason. Jelani scored 18.2 points per game offensively, but continued to do his best work on the defensive side of the ball, swiping 77 steals, the third highest single-season total in school history.
For his career, Hewitt set the school record in career steals, taking 252 over his four seasons. He matched a career-high in the penultimate game of the regular season, grabbing seven against UT Arlington as the Eagles erased a 17-point first half deficit and forced 25 total turnovers by the Mavs.
Wiedeman has made the most of his only season in the blue and white, ranking second on the team in scoring with 11.8 ppg and 5.5 rebounds per contest. He has provided the inside presence for Georgia Southern by leading the team in blocks while shooting well from all areas of the floor. In the regular season finale at Georgia State he dropped seven field goals for the third time in league play, coming three-points shy of a season-high.
Georgia Southern opens the 2015 Sun Belt Tournament on Saturday afternoon at 4:30 p.m. in the semifinals. The Eagles' will play an opponent to be decided later, but if seeding holds up, a date with ULM would be in the cards. Watch the Eagles' semifinal contest live on ESPN3 or listen on the Georgia Southern Sports Network from Learfield Sports.
All-session ticket books to this year's Sun Belt Basketball Championships March 11-15, in New Orleans are available for $99 at the Georgia Southern Ticket Office. Call 1-800-GSU-WINS! Student tickets for the tournament are free by showing your valid Georiga Southern Student ID.
Georgia Southern Athletics provides up-to-date information on all its sports through its official website, GSEagles.com, through social media channels facebook.com/GSAthletics, twitter.com/GSAthletics, iOS app Georgia Southern Eagles and Android app Eagles GATA. For tickets to Georgia Southern athletics events, call 1-800-GSU-WINS or visit GSEagles.com
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