Home » Minden’s Elkins named Great American Conference Freshman of the Year

Minden’s Elkins named Great American Conference Freshman of the Year

by Associated Press

Elkins

Elkins

BARTLESVILLE, Okla. – Southern Arkansas redshirt freshman guard CJ Elkins headlines a trio of Muleriders who earned All-Great American Conference honors for the 2015-16 season as Elkins was named as the league’s Freshman of the Year at the annual pre-tournament awards banquet in Bartlesville, Okla. on Wednesday night.

In addition to being named as the league’s top freshman, Elkins was tabbed as an All-GAC Honorable Mention player. Joining Elkins on the Honorable Mention team were senior guard Jaron Davis and junior forward Denarious Lockhart. With Davis, Elkins, and Lockhart garnering All-GAC nods this season, it is now the second-straight season in which SAU has had three all-conference players in one season.

Elkins, a native of Minden, La., burst on to the scene this season and continually proved himself as being one of the most athletic guards on court at any given time. Having played in all 28 games and making 20 starts thus far, Elkins has ranked himself third on the team and among the top-30 scorers in the GAC with an average of 11.5 points per game. Elkins would score in double figures 17 times this season with a season-high of 21 points coming in a home win against Arkansas-Monticello.

Along with his scoring prowess, Elkins has showed an ability to distribute the ball as he has dished out 58 assists thus far for an average of 2.1 dimes per game. An athletic 6-foot-3 guard with an innate ability to jump out of the gym, Elkins would also prove to very stout on the glass as he has hauled in over 100 rebounds on the season for an average of 4.1 boards per game.

Davis, a native of New Orleans, La., was an All-GAC Second-Team player a year ago after he had a sensational first season with the Muleriders, leading the team in scoring by season’s end with an average of 16.4 points per game. This year, Davis once again leads the team in scoring and ranks 22nd in the GAC, this time at 12.4 points per game. As a result, Davis has added another All-GAC plaudit as he garners Honorable Mention recognition this season.

As he did last season, Davis is also the top assist man on the team this year having dished out 110 assists for an average of 3.9, which ranks fourth in the GAC.

Lockhart, a native of Roberta, Ga., did not play his first game for the Muleriders until after the fall semester, but in his 20 games played thus far, he has proved to be one of the top big men in the conference.

In his first game of the season back on December 19, Lockhart posted a double-double going for 13 points and 10 rebounds against Quincy University. Lockhart would follow that up with another double-double his next time out against Truman State.

After those first two games, Lockhart would set his sights on the GAC and in just league play, Lockhart would average 9.6 points per game on an efficient 62% field goal shooting effort as well as hauling in 7.6 rebounds per game.

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