KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — Knoxville native and UNC Asheville star Drew Pember has been named Big South Player of the Year for the second season in a row, the conference announced this week.
Pember, who also earned an All-Big South First Team nod, is just the second UNC Asheville player in program history to win back-to-back Player of the Year honors after Josh Pittman won the award twice in a row from 1996-1998. Pember is just the fifth player in the history of the conference to win the award in consecutive years.
The former Bearden standout led the conference with 20.4 points per game, 57 blocks and 197 defensive rebounds this season. Pember is also fifth in the nation with 210 made free throws and 248 free throws attempted.
He recorded seven double-doubles this season along with just the third triple-double in UNC Asheville program history. He is one of 26 players to record a triple-double this season.
Pember and the Bulldogs begin the Big South Tournament as the No. 2 seed and will start play in the quarterfinals against Charleston Southern on Friday, March 8 at 6 p.m. inside the Quebin Center at High Point University.
