UTC Mocs' Justin Tuoyo named SoCon defensive player of the year

UTC forward Justin Tuoyo (5) tries to rebound the ball against ETSU's Lester Wilson, center, and A.J. Merriweather (13) during the Mocs' Senior Night SoCon basketball game against the ETSU Buccaneers on Saturday, Feb. 21, 2015, at McKenzie Arena in Chattanooga, Tenn.
UTC forward Justin Tuoyo (5) tries to rebound the ball against ETSU's Lester Wilson, center, and A.J. Merriweather (13) during the Mocs' Senior Night SoCon basketball game against the ETSU Buccaneers on Saturday, Feb. 21, 2015, at McKenzie Arena in Chattanooga, Tenn.

The Southern Conference men's basketball award for defensive player of the year won't be leaving Chattanooga.

A year after University of Tennessee at Chattanooga standout Zaccheus Mason took the honor as a senior, Mocs sophomore Justin Tuoyo got the 2015 defensive designation Tuesday morning.

Tuoyo also was voted second-team all-conference by the media and was one of 10 players selected to the coaches' All-SoCon team. UTC junior forward Casey Jones was also a coaches' selection and made first-team all-conference in the media balloting.

Sophomore point guard Greg Pryor was a third-team all-conference pick by the media.

photo UTC forward Justin Tuoyo (5) dunks over ETSU's Alex Bates during the Mocs' Senior Night SoCon basketball game against the ETSU Buccaneers on Saturday, Feb. 21, 2015, at McKenzie Arena in Chattanooga, Tenn.

Tuoyo is fourth on the team in scoring (10.3 ppg), but it was the other end where the 6-foot-10 center truly made his mark. He has averaged 6.5 rebounds and 3.3 blocked shots a game, and his total of 102 blocks this season is the single-season record at UTC and ranks second in SoCon history.

Going into the conference tournament, he is four blocks away from tying former UNC Greensboro standout Kyle Hines, who had 106 in 2004-05.

"It means a lot," Tuoyo said of the award. "It means a lot to be recognized for an individual award. I will cherish it today, and it'll be in my memory for the rest of my life, but we've got work to do that's bigger than one person."

UTC coach Will Wade said Tuoyo's impact extends beyond just blocked shots.

"He affects the game in so many ways defensively," Wade said. "It's not just the shots he blocked; it's the ones he's altered. His presence is huge; our points per possession when he's on the court as opposed to off the court is huge. He makes such a dramatic difference on defense, and we have to make sure down the stretch that he stays out of foul trouble."

Jones averages team highs of 14.3 points and 7.1 rebounds, while adding 34 blocks and 36 steals, and Pryor has been one of the conference's most improved players in his second season, ranking second among the Mocs in scoring (11.4) and assists (74) while leading the team in steals with 41.

"Our program is all about an extreme work ethic and getting better, and nobody does that better than Pryor," Wade said. "You certainly like to see work ethic and hard work rewarded, and he's what this program is all about. Out of high school, he was going to go to a juco -- he had one scholarship offer from Alcorn State -- but he works hard. He doesn't tell people what he's doing or how hard he's working; he just does it."

Wofford's Mike Young was voted coach of the year by both the coaches and the media, while Terriers guard Kyle Cochran was awarded player of the year. Furman's Devin Sibley was the freshman of the year.

Contact Gene Henley at ghenley@timesfreepress.com. Follow him at twitter.com/genehenleytfp.

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