RICHARDSON, Texas – UT Dallas senior guard Dimitrius Underwood and Mary Hardin-Baylor sophomore guard Josiah Johnson were named the East and West Division Players of the Year, respectively, announced by the league office in conjunction with the release of the 2021 American Southwest Conference Men’s Basketball All-Conference teams on Wednesday, following a vote of the league’s head coaches.
Underwood, who also won the award in 2019, averaged 19.3 points, 8.5 rebounds and 6.8 assists per game to go with 33 steals, while shooting 43.3 percent from the field and 79.6 percent from the free throw line. He was also the East Division Defensive Player of the Year.
Johnson broke the ASC single-season scoring average at 29.3 points per game, to go with 7.9 rebounds, 59 assists and 54 steals. He also shot 51 percent from the field, 37.7 percent from outside and 86.7 percent from the free throw line.
Underwood and Johnson, who were both selected to the prestigious five-player ASC All-Conference Team, are joined by Ozarks senior guard Bryson Johnson, Sul Ross State senior guard Tristen Licon and Louisiana College senior guard Kae’ron Baker.
In the East Division, LeTourneau guard Deonte Jackson and UTD forward Kameron Pruitt were the Co-Freshmen of the Year. Zach Byrd from Ozarks and Galen Smith, Jr. of Louisiana College were the Co-Newcomers of the Year and East Texas Baptist’s Landin Brown was the Sportsmanship Athlete of the Year. Travis Carruthers was the Coach of the Year after leading Ozarks to a 10-3 record, East Division regular season title and the ASC Championship.
In the West, McMurry forward Michael Imariagbe and SRSU guard Carson Perkins were the Co-Freshmen of the Year, while UMHB forward Ty Prince was the Newcomer of the Year. Licon was the Defensive Player of the Year and teammate Jezreel Griffin (From Brownfield) was the Sportsmanship Athlete of the Year. Clif Carroll (From Meadow) head coach of Mary Hardin-Baylor was the Coach of the Year for the fifth time in his career, after leading the Cru to a 16-4 record and 13-0 mark in league play in his first year at the helm.
