Middle Tennessee State University Athletics
Davis, Williams receive top Conference USA honors
3/8/2017 11:10:00 AM | Men's Basketball
Davis wins fourth Coach of the Year honor at MT
Davis, Williams receive top C-USA honors
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – In a press conference at Legacy Arena to kick off Conference USA Championship week in Birmingham, Middle Tennessee head coach Kermit Davis was announced as the league's Coach of the Year while Blue Raider forward JaCorey Williams was recognized as the C-USA Player of the Year.
The top two awards given for men's basketball by the league office cap a run of strong recognition for the Conference USA regular season champions, who have now received eight honors this week.
The Coach of the Year honor is the fourth for Davis at Middle Tennessee and sixth overall. The Blue Raider head man won the 1989 and 1990 Big Sky Coach of the Year honors while at Idaho and was named Sun Belt Coach of the Year in 2003, 2012 and 2013 at the helm of the Middle Tennessee program.
"It's quite an honor," Davis said. "No coach of the year awards are awarded without really talented, tough players. I'll accept it on behalf of our team."
Davis has led the Blue Raiders to a 27-4 record on the year, tying the Middle Tennessee record for regular season wins. They are just one shy of the all-time record for total wins.
The impressive record has carried Middle Tennessee to a Coaches Poll Top 25 ranking for the first time in school history, checking in at No. 25 in the week 18 poll.
Middle Tennessee's nearly perfect league record of 17-1 broke the Conference USA record for league wins in a single season and vaulted the Raiders to the No. 1 seed after being picked second in the preseason poll.
A huge part of the success the Blue Raiders have enjoyed in 2016-17 has been Williams, a transfer post man who has now brought home three conference awards in three days.
In addition to Player of the Year, the Birmingham native was selected to the All-Conference first team on Monday before being named the Conference USA Newcomer of the Year on Tuesday.
"I'm blessed to be in this situation," Williams said. "I have to give credit to Coach Davis for pushing me to play at my highest ability, and I wouldn't have been able to receive this award without my teammates."
After sitting out in 2015-16 due to NCAA transfer rules, Williams arrived as a force in the post for Middle Tennessee. He averaged team-best numbers in scoring (17.5) and rebounding (7.4) in the regular season.
"JaCorey had a remarkable redshirt year," Davis said. "I've never had a guy work harder. He's a great teammate; it couldn't happen to a better person who works harder. We're all very proud of them."
The senior has also logged a team-high 11 double-doubles in 2016-17 and is the first Blue Raider in 20 seasons to log three consecutive double-doubles, doing so twice this season.
Williams has logged 28 double-digit scoring outings in 31 games this year while topping the 20-point mark 11 times.
The Player of the Year award is the third for a Blue Raider in the last six seasons under Coach Davis, following Shawn Jones in 2014 and LaRon Dendy in 2012.
Williams will now play some of the final games of his collegiate career in the Conference USA Championship in his hometown of Birmingham. Middle Tennessee will have a first-round bye before playing either WKU or UTSA on Thursday at 11:30 a.m.
"Obviously, it's always good to be back home," Williams said. "I'm just here to try to focus on what we're doing, not individual awards. I want team success, and that's what I'm here to do."
Friday's semifinal will take place at 11:30 a.m. with the championship game scheduled for Saturday at 7:30 p.m. All three games will be held at Legacy Arena.
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – In a press conference at Legacy Arena to kick off Conference USA Championship week in Birmingham, Middle Tennessee head coach Kermit Davis was announced as the league's Coach of the Year while Blue Raider forward JaCorey Williams was recognized as the C-USA Player of the Year.
The top two awards given for men's basketball by the league office cap a run of strong recognition for the Conference USA regular season champions, who have now received eight honors this week.
The Coach of the Year honor is the fourth for Davis at Middle Tennessee and sixth overall. The Blue Raider head man won the 1989 and 1990 Big Sky Coach of the Year honors while at Idaho and was named Sun Belt Coach of the Year in 2003, 2012 and 2013 at the helm of the Middle Tennessee program.
"It's quite an honor," Davis said. "No coach of the year awards are awarded without really talented, tough players. I'll accept it on behalf of our team."
Davis has led the Blue Raiders to a 27-4 record on the year, tying the Middle Tennessee record for regular season wins. They are just one shy of the all-time record for total wins.
The impressive record has carried Middle Tennessee to a Coaches Poll Top 25 ranking for the first time in school history, checking in at No. 25 in the week 18 poll.
Middle Tennessee's nearly perfect league record of 17-1 broke the Conference USA record for league wins in a single season and vaulted the Raiders to the No. 1 seed after being picked second in the preseason poll.
A huge part of the success the Blue Raiders have enjoyed in 2016-17 has been Williams, a transfer post man who has now brought home three conference awards in three days.
In addition to Player of the Year, the Birmingham native was selected to the All-Conference first team on Monday before being named the Conference USA Newcomer of the Year on Tuesday.
"I'm blessed to be in this situation," Williams said. "I have to give credit to Coach Davis for pushing me to play at my highest ability, and I wouldn't have been able to receive this award without my teammates."
After sitting out in 2015-16 due to NCAA transfer rules, Williams arrived as a force in the post for Middle Tennessee. He averaged team-best numbers in scoring (17.5) and rebounding (7.4) in the regular season.
"JaCorey had a remarkable redshirt year," Davis said. "I've never had a guy work harder. He's a great teammate; it couldn't happen to a better person who works harder. We're all very proud of them."
The senior has also logged a team-high 11 double-doubles in 2016-17 and is the first Blue Raider in 20 seasons to log three consecutive double-doubles, doing so twice this season.
Williams has logged 28 double-digit scoring outings in 31 games this year while topping the 20-point mark 11 times.
The Player of the Year award is the third for a Blue Raider in the last six seasons under Coach Davis, following Shawn Jones in 2014 and LaRon Dendy in 2012.
Williams will now play some of the final games of his collegiate career in the Conference USA Championship in his hometown of Birmingham. Middle Tennessee will have a first-round bye before playing either WKU or UTSA on Thursday at 11:30 a.m.
"Obviously, it's always good to be back home," Williams said. "I'm just here to try to focus on what we're doing, not individual awards. I want team success, and that's what I'm here to do."
Friday's semifinal will take place at 11:30 a.m. with the championship game scheduled for Saturday at 7:30 p.m. All three games will be held at Legacy Arena.
Players Mentioned
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