Andre Leavell Named Newcomer of the Year & Hayden Abdullah Earns All-Freshman

ROCK HILL, S.C. (TheSAC.com) – Wingate guard Donell Nixon was voted the 2023-24 South Atlantic Conference Men's Basketball Player of the Year, while Catawba guard Javeon Jones was voted the Conference's Defensive Player of the Year. Coker guard Andre Leavell was voted the Newcomer of the Year and Lincoln Memorial guard Wes Enis was voted the SAC Freshman of the Year.  Additionally, Wingate head coach Brian Good was tabbed as the Coach of the Year, the Conference announced today.

Nixon, a senior from Buford, Ga., led the Bulldogs to a share of the SAC Men's Basketball Regular Season Title while averaging 18.2 points and 3.8 rebounds per game. The league leader in free throw percentage, Nixon has shot 91.8 percent this season, is fifth in the conference in steals with 45 and is third in assists with 150.  

Jones, a senior from Rocky Mount, N.C., leads the SAC and NCAA Division II in steals per game with 3.8, swiping 75 steals this season. He also pulled down 4.7 rebounds per game and scored 13.3 points per game, while helping lead the Catawba Indians to a share of the SAC Regular Season Title.

Leavell, a senior from Canton, Ohio, transferred to Coker from Arkansas Tech this season and made an immediate impact for the Cobras and in the SAC. He led the league in scoring, averaging 20.2 points per game with 5.4 rebounds per game. He also led the conference in assists with 167 and was third in steals with 53.

Enis, a freshman from Conover, Ohio, led the Railsplitters to a share of the SAC Regular Season Title and was ranked in the top-10 in points per game with 17.6. He averaged 2.9 rebounds per game and had 47 assists and 14 steals during his first collegiate season.

Good earns his first-ever Coach of the Year honor after leading the Wingate Bulldogs to a share of the 2024 Regular Season Title with a 21-7 overall record, going 16-4 in league play. Currently, the Bulldogs are ranked seventh in the NCAA Southeast Region.

Hayden Abdullah is a talented freshman basketball player at Coker. With an impressive average of 12.3 points per game, he has shown his ability to score efficiently with a field goal percentage of 56.3%. Hayden is reliable at the free-throw line, boasting an 81.0% free-throw percentage. In addition to his scoring prowess, he contributes on the boards with an average of 4.8 rebounds per game which helped him earn a spot on the All-Freshman list.  

2023-24 South Atlantic Conference Men's Basketball All-Conference

First Team

Martez Brown, Lincoln Memorial
Javeon Jones, Catawba

Andre Leavell, Coker
Josh Massey, Wingate

Donell Nixon, Wingate

Chase Rankin, Lincoln Memorial

Second Team

Nick Brenegan, Carson-Newman
Garrett Denbow, Anderson
DeAngelo Epps, Catawba
Zeb Graham, Limestone
Connor Jordan, Tusculum
John Zhao, Carson-Newman

Third Team

Jack Browder, Carson-Newman
Me'Kell Burries, Lincoln Memorial
Kadyn Dawkins, Mars Hill
Wes Enis, Lincoln Memorial
Nas Tyson, Lenoir-Rhyne
Kendall Taylor, Wingate

All-Freshman

Hayden Abdullah, Coker
Wes Enis, Lincoln Memorial
Carmelo Pacheco, UVA Wise
Montraivis White, Catawba
AJ Wright Jr., Anderson

Player of the Year

Donell Nixon, Wingate

Newcomer of the Year

Andre Leavell, Coker

Freshman of the Year

Wes Enis, Lincoln Memorial

Defensive Player of the Year

Javeon Jones, Catawba

Coach of the Year

Brian Good, Wingate

Statistical Champions
Points Per Game – Andre Leavell, Coker; 20.7
Three-Pointers Per Game – Nick Brenegan, Carson-Newman; 4.00
Rebounds Per Game – Martez Brown, Lincoln Memorial; 14.4
Blocked Shots Per Game – Hayden Abdullah, Coker; 1.56
Field Goal Percentage – Martez Brown, Lincoln Memorial; 73.0
Assists Per Game – Andre Leavell, Coker; 5.9
Assist-to-Turnover Ratio – Donell Nixon, Wingate; 2.56
Steals Per Game – Javeon Jones, Catawba; 3.23
Three-Point Field Goal Percentage – John Zhao, Carson-Newman; 51.4
Free Throw Percentage – Donell Nixon II, Wingate; 92.2
Team Scoring Offense – Coker; 101.1
Team Steals Per Game – Catawba, 11.2

Team Field Goal Percentage – Carson-Newman; 51.4
Team FG Percentage Defense – Lincoln Memorial; 40.7
Team Assists Per Game – Carson-Newman; 20.4
Team Rebounds Per Game – Carson-Newman; 42
Team Blocks Per Game– Catawba; 5
Team Three-Point FG Percentage – Carson-Newman; 42.8
Team Scoring Defense – Lincoln Memorial; 73.6
Team Free Throw Percentage – Wingate; 80
Team Assist-to-Turnover Ratio – Carson-Newman; 1.54