AUGUSTA, GA – The Peach Belt Conference has announced the 2020-21 men’s basketball All-Conference team and post-season awards. Following a historic regular season, Flagler was honored with several major awards as Jaizec Lottie was named the Player of the Year, Jalen Barr the Defender of the Year and Chad Warner the Herbert Greene Coach of the Year. Columbus State’s Christian Chambers was named the Freshman of the Year and Georgia College’s Brandon Thomas the recipient of the Elite 16 Award presented by EAB.
Lottie is an offensive force in 2020-21. The senior from Aurora, Colo., is second in the PBC and sixth in NCAA Division II with 24.4 points per game. That is on pace to be the sixth-highest season scoring average in league history. A three-time PBC Player of the Week, he had six games of 30 or more points, including 36 against both North Florida and Lander – the two highest single-game totals in the PBC this season. He also led the team and was ranked second in the PBC in assists and was third on the squad with 5.5 rebounds per game. His 12 assists against Young Harris on Jan. 9 is tied for the league high and was one of his two double-doubles on the year. He was also third in the league in steals and fourth in three-point percentage. Lottie becomes the first Flagler player to be named the PBC Player of the Year.
Barr was a key reason that Flagler is ranked third in the PBC in scoring defense and second in field goal percentage defense. A sophomore from Charlotte, N.C., guards every spot on the floor and leads the team in blocks and is second on the team in rebounding. Ranked seventh in the PBC in rebounding, he had four games of double-digit rebounds and is ranked 10th in the PBC in blocks and 20th in steals. He was also fourth on the team in scoring and shot over 49% from the field. Barr is the first Flagler playe to be named the Defensive Player of the Year.
Christian Chambers played in all 12 games for Columbus State this season, making five starts. The guard from Augusta, Ga., was third on the team in scoring with 11.5 points per game and led the team with 20 made three-pointers. He added 2.3 rebounds per game and hit 22 of 29 free throws. He scored a season-high 24 points against Augusta on Jan. 18 and had three games where he hit five three-pointers. He scored in double-digits eight times including 19 points against UNC Pembroke in his first collegiate game. Chambers becomes the second Cougar to be named the Freshman of the Year, the first since Chris Conklin in 2000.
The Elite 16 Award presented by EAB is given to the player competing in the tournament with the highest overall cumulative GPA. A sophomore from McDonough, Ga., Brandon Thomas carries a perfect 4.00 average with a major in public health. Named to the 2019-20 D2ADA Academic Achievement List, he has played in all 12 games for the Bobcats this season, making four starts. Thomas becomes the second Bobcat to win the Elite 16 Award for men’s basketball, joining Evyn Smith who won in 2016.
In his fourth season at the helm of the Saints, Chad Warner has taken Flagler to new heights in the NCAA Division II era. Flagler won their first-ever PBC regular-season championship and are the #1 seed for the PBC Tournament for the first time. Flagler is currently ranked #10 in the latest NABC top 25 and #1 in the NCAA South region rankings this past Wednesday. Currently 14-2 overall, Flagler is ranked among the PBC’s top three in scoring offense, scoring defense, field goal percentage, FG% defense and three-point percentage. Warner is the first Flagler coach to be named the Herbert Greene Coach of the Year.
The All-Conference team and post-season awards are listed below, as selected by the league’s head coaches. Coaches were not permitted to vote for their own players for any award.
2020-21 PBC Men’s Basketball
All-Conference Team
First Team
Jaizec Lottie, Flagler
Kohl Roberts, Georgia College
Donte Tatum, Georgia Southwestern
Jordan Thomas, Georgia College
Alphonso Willis, Young Harris
Second Team
Deon Berrien, Lander
Anyeuri Castillo, USC Aiken
Chris Metzger, Flagler
DaJuan Moorer, Lander
Hunter Preston, Columbus State
Third Team
Jalen Barr, Flagler
Derrick Ellis, Jr., Flagler
Brian Free, Young Harris
Malik Hardy, North Georgia
Wesley Simpson, Georgia College
Player of the Year
Jaizec Lottie, Flagler
Defender of the Year
Jalen Barr, Flagler
Freshman of the Year
Christian Chambers, Columbus State
Elite 16 Award presented by EAB
Brandon Thomas, Georgia College
Herbert Greene Coach of the Year
Chad Warner, Flagler