For the first time in 15 years, the men's basketball program at Shawnee State put two players on the first team of an all-conference list as the Bears' Kyree Elder and EJ Onu each obtained First-Team All-Mid-South Conference accolades, with Onu also taking back the Mid-South Conference's Defensive Player of the Year Award for the 2019-20 season. SSU joined Georgetown and Cumberlands (Ky.) as the only programs with at least two All-MSC First-Team honorees.
Junior wing Bailey Davis was nominated as Shawnee State's choice for the Champions of Character Award to round out a fruitful evening for the Bears at the Mid-South Conference Banquet, which was held at the National Corvette Museum Friday evening.
His name is Kyree!
Elder, a senior transfer who is in his first and last year with the Shawnee State men's basketball program, posted one of the greatest regular-season tears in Shawnee State history with his play for the Bears in 2019-20. Despite missing a pair of games in early February to a severe ankle sprain, Elder still easily obtained First-Team All-MSC honors by scoring in double-figures in 26 of the 28 games that he participated in during the regular season -- including each of his last 16 contests overall.
Of those 26 affairs where Elder scored in double-figures, the senior wing posted at least 20 or more points in 13 of those contests, including a stretch from Jan. 16 to Jan. 30 where he scored 20 or more points in four consecutive games.
The latter streak is even more impressive when one considers the fact that Elder posted two of those four consecutive 20-point games, against the top two conference units in Georgetown (Ky.) and Cumberlands (Ky.), on the road. Elder also posted a season-high 31 points in his fifth game with the Bears on Nov. 2 and added in a 28-point barrage against Cumberland (Tenn.), 40 minutes away from his hometown of Nashville, on Feb. 15.
However, Elder proved throughout the season that he wasn't just a scorer. In 18 of the 30 contests, Elder posted at least seven or more rebounds in a game, and posted four or more assists in 10 of the 30 affairs to head up Shawnee State's production.
Overall, his 18.5 points and 6.9 rebounds per game sit first and second, respectively, on the Shawnee State roster. Elder also leads the team and is 12th in the NAIA in free throw percentage (84.7 percent), and is inside the national top-25 overall in points per game.
The EJ Onu Defensive Player of the Year? Just a thought!
Overall, EJ Onu has proven to be nothing short of special on the defensive end of the floor throughout his career.
This season, however, Onu has proven to be otherwordly as the Bears' defensive anchor. As a whole, Onu has more blocks on his own (166) than 89 of the 90 additional teams in the NAIA Division I ranks. Yes, you read that right. All but ONE team.
So on that fact alone, there's no doubt as to who the Mid-South Conference's Defensive Player of the Year should be.
Onu, who is one of six players on the roster to have played in all 30 games this season, has also scored in double-figures in 21 of Shawnee State's 30 contests -- including each of the Bears' last nine affairs alone. He's also added in seven or more blocks in an amazing 12 contests.
For the year, Onu is averaging 11.4 points, a team-leading 7.9 rebounds, and a national-leading 5.5 blocks per affair. Along with his per-game statistics, the junior sits just 14 points away from 1,000 for his career. His career blocks total of 363 sits 245 total blocks away from the NAIA Division I all-time career record set by Winona State's Gus Johnson, who notched 607 denials from 1971 to 1975. That record is within his reach.
Davis is Da Man!
Throughout the season, Bailey Davis' impact can't be measured in sheer numbers -- but rather, by heart. The junior was an easy choice to represent Shawnee State as the Champions of Character recipient.
A player with knee issues throughout his high school career, Davis not only made the 2019-20 unit, but has brought excellent qualities to this year's version of the Bears with his light-hearted nature and willingness to do what is asked in practice. Davis also volunteered his time at Valley High School, where he contributed to the school's version of 'Start With Hello Week.' He was one of 11 student-athletes across the SSU campus to volunteer his time to the cause.
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Shawnee State will arguably play its biggest men's basketball game in school history on Saturday when the No. 4 Bears take on No. 5 Campbellsville on Saturday afternoon at 4 p.m. ET/3 p.m. CT. A victory in that affair arguably seals up SSU's first-ever berth in the NAIA Division I Men's Basketball Tournament.
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