NEW ORLEANS - Georgia Southern guard Elijah McCadden has been named the Sun Belt Conference Sixth Man of the Year in a vote by the league's head coaches, the conference announced today.

McCadden is averaging 11.6 points, 4.5 rebounds and 2.4 assists while shooting 49 percent from the field and 70 percent from the free-throw line. The senior ranked 22nd in the league in scoring (11.3 ppg) and 11th in free throw shooting percentage (.742) in Sun Belt contests. Overall, McCadden scored in double figures in 16 games, and led the Eagles in scoring 12 times, in rebounding 5 times and in assists 13 times. He was first off the bench in 10 contests and made 10 starts.

Georgia Southern will open the Hercules Tires Sun Belt Conference Men's Basketball Championship by taking on Coastal Carolina Thursday, March 3, at 8:30 p.m. ET in the Pensacola Bay Center.

The seventh-seeded Chanticleers swept the season series from the 10th-seeded Eagles, winning 76-72 Jan. 20 in Hanner Fieldhouse and 79-58 Feb. 12 in Conway. The winner of Thursday's contest will take on defending champion and second-seeded Appalachian State Saturday, March 5, at 8:30 p.m. ET. Georgia Southern has never played Coastal Carolina or Appalachian State in the Sun Belt Tournament.

All Eagle games at the championship will air on the GS Sports Network, and all games will be broadcast on ESPN+ except for the championship contest, which will air on ESPN2 Monday, March 7, at 7 p.m. ET.