University of Tennessee at Chattanooga head women's basketball coach Jim Foster was honored as the Tennessee Sports Writers Association's college Coach of the Year.
photo by Dennis Norwood
Tennessee-Martin represented half of the college basketball award winners during the Tennessee Sports Writers Association’s annual selection of the state’s college basketball coaches and players of the year honors.
In a vote of TSWA members, Tennessee-Martin men’s basketball coach Heath Schroyer and Ashia Jones, a forward on Tennessee-Martin women’s basketball team, were named the TSWA men’s coach and women’s player of the year, respectively.
The top men’s basketball player also stayed inside the OVC when Belmont guard Craig Bradshaw was named the men’s player of the year, and Jim Foster, who guided Chattanooga back to the NCAA Tournament, was named the women’s coach of the year.
Jones, a 6-foot-1 sophomore forward, was an All-American honorable mention, OVC Player of the Year and an All-OVC selection.
She was also the National Midwest Major Player of the Year.
Jones averaged 23.4 points, 5.7 rebounds and 2.8 assists per game. Jones’ 23.4 points a game was the fourth-highest total in Division I.
Austin Peay guard Tiasha Gray and Union’s Amy Philamlee, finished second and third, respectively, in the voting.
The 6-3 Bradshaw averaged 18.3 points a game while shooting 49 percent from the floor and 74.7 percent from the free-throw line. Bradshaw was a NABC Division I All-District Team and First Team All-OVC selection. Bradshaw ranked among OVC leaders in eight offensive categories. Bradshaw was also named the Division I-AAA Athletic Directors Association Men’s Basketball Scholar Athlete of the Year.
Belmont returned to the NCAA Tournament after beating Murray State in the OVC Championship game.
Tennessee’s Josh Richardson and Memphis’ Austin Nichols finished second and third, respectively, in the voting.
In his first season, Schroyer directed Tennessee-Martin to a 21-13 record and a berth into the semifinals of the Collegeinsider.com postseason tournament. Tennessee-Martin finished with the fourth-best turnaround in wins from last season (13) and Martin led Division I in road wins with 12.
Schroyer was also a finalist for the Hugh Durham National Coach of the Year.
Vanderbilt’s Kevin Stallings’ and King’s George Pitts finished second and third, respectively, in the voting.
Under Foster, Chattanooga finished 29-4, winning the SoCon regular season and conference tournament. Chattanooga lost to Pittsburgh in the first round of the NCAA Tournament. Chattanooga was undefeated in conference play.
Foster was also the SoCon Coach of the Year by league coaches and media.
Tennessee State’ Larry Joe Inman was second in the voting.
All four will be honored during a luncheon at the TSSAA headquarters on Friday, July 10, during the TSWA’s annual convention.