Johnson named Sun Belt Coach of the Year; two senior players earn Honors

Staff Reports

SAN MARCOS – Texas State men’s basketball head coach Terrence Johnson was named the Sun Belt Conference Coach of the Year for the second year in a row while seniors Caleb Asberry and Mason Harrell were named All-Sun Belt for the second time in their careers as the conference announced its 2021-22 end-of-season awards on Monday.

Asberry and Harrell were named first team and second team, respectively.

Johnson, who led the Bobcats to their second regular-season conference title in as many years, became the first Texas State head coach in program history to earn back-to-back conference coach of the year awards. The second-year head coach led Texas State to a 21-win season and fourth straight campaign of 12+ conference victories.

Johnson is also the first since Kermit Davis, Jr. from Middle Tennessee to win the Sun Belt Coach of the Year honor in consecutive years and fifth to ever do it. He was already only the third head coach in program history to garner conference coach of the year honors, joined by Mike Miller (1997, Southland) and Jim Wooldridge (1994, Southland).

Asberry, Texas State’s leading scorer, was named All-Sun Belt First Team after earning third-team honors last year. The Pflugerville, Texas product averaged 13.7 points, 4.6 rebounds, 2.1 assists and 1.2 steals this season and started every game. He finished top-10 in the conference in scoring, free throw percentage (3rd, 85.2 percent), and three-pointers made (4th, 2.2/game)

In Sun Belt action, Asberry averaged 14.1 points, which is 10th in the conference.

A first-team selection a season ago, Harrell earned his second all-conference honors in his decorated career after averaging 11.6 points on 49 percent shooting and 42.6 percent beyond the arc. The senior guard also led the Bobcats in assists (82 total, 3.2 per game) and free throw percentage (85.2 percent).

In conference-only, Harrell ranks 13th in the Sun Belt in scoring (13.1 points) and tied for seventh in assists (3.5).

Out of Midwest City, Okla., Harrell is the first player in program history to have 1,000 career points and 300 career assists. In 112 games, Harrell has recorded 1,024 points and 301 helpers. He became the 23rd player in program history to score 1,000 career points last week, and this past Friday, he became only the fifth player in school history with 300 career assists.

This is the first time since 1999 that the Bobcats had multiple players on all-conference first and second teams. That year, Donte Mathis and Jeff Foster were both named to the All-Southland First Team.

Asberry’s first-team selection also makes it four straight years a Bobcat has earned honors on a conference’s top team. The last time that happened was from 1979 to 1983 in the Lone Star Conference.

The Bobcats return to action on Saturday when they open their stint in the 2022 Hercules Tires Sun Belt Conference Men’s Basketball Championship in Pensacola, Fla. Texas State will face the winner of Thursday’s UTA vs. South Alabama matchup at 11:30 a.m. CT on ESPN+.

2021-22 Sun Belt Conference Men’s Basketball Postseason Awards 

Player of the Year

Norchad Omier, Arkansas State (Fr., F – Bluefields, Nicaragua) 

Defensive Player of the Year

Norchad Omier, Arkansas State (Fr., F – Bluefields, Nicaragua) 

Newcomer of the Year

Efe Odigie, Troy (Jr., F – Houston, Texas) 

Freshman of the Year

Duke Deen, Troy (Fr., G – Shreveport, La.) 

Sixth Man of the Year

Elijah McCadden, Georgia Southern (Sr., G – Rocky Mount, N.C.) 

Coach of the Year

Terrence Johnson, Texas State

 All-Sun Belt First Team  
Adrian Delph, App State (Sr., G – Gastonia, N.C.) 

Norchad Omier, Arkansas State (Fr., F – Bluefields, Nicaragua) 

David Azore, UTA (Gr., G – Houston, Texas)

Caleb Asberry, Texas State (Sr., G – Pflugerville, Texas) 

Efe Odigie, Troy (Jr., F – Houston, Texas) 

All-Sun Belt Second Team 
Vince Cole, Coastal Carolina (Sr., G – Charleston, S.C.) 

Jordan Brown, Louisiana (So. F – Roseville, Calif.) 

Jay Jay Chandler, South Alabama (Gr., G – Katy, Texas)

Charles Manning Jr., South Alabama (Sr., G – Riverhead, N.Y.) 

Mason Harrell, Texas State (Sr., G – Midwest City, Okla.) 

All-Sun Belt Third Team

Corey Allen, Georgia State (Sr., G – Ypsilanti, Mich.) 

Kane Williams, Georgia State (Sr., G – Douglasville, Ga.) 

Kobe Julien, Louisiana (RS Fr., F – Baton Rouge, La.) 

Andre Jones, ULM (Gr., G – Little Rock, Ark.) 

Javon Franklin, South Alabama (Sr., F – Little Rock, Ark.)