Greenville, S.C. – Furman point guard
PJay Smith Jr. has been selected to the National Association of Basketball Coaches All-South Atlantic District Second Team, it was announced by the NABC on Tuesday morning.
A first team All-Southern Conference choice and finalist for the Lou Henson Award as the mid-major player of the year, Smith has averaged 18 points, 4.2 rebounds, and 3.9 assists per game this season. The senior ranks fourth in the nation averaging 3.44 three-point baskets per game and sixth with 110 three-pointers on the year. He needs four more triples to pass Alex Hunter's school single season record of 113.
The Lavergne, Tenn., native has topped 20 points in five of the last seven games as the Paladins have posted a 6-1 record in their last seven outings to carry a 25-9 record into Wednesday's first round NIT matchup versus the No. 2 seed North Texas Mean Green in Denton, Texas. Smith is shooting 42.1% from behind the arc and 86.4% at the charity stripe on the strength of a school-record 43 consecutive made free throws.
Furman and North Texas are slated to tip-off at 8 p.m. ET on Wednesday at the UNT Coliseum. The game will be streamed live on ESPN+ with Dave Neal and Mark Adams on the call. Fans can listen to the action on The Fan Upstate at 97.7 FM and 1330 AM in Greenville, 97.1 FM and 1490 AM in Spartanburg, and via the Audacy app. Links for the broadcast, live audio, and live statistics are available at FurmanPaladins.com.
The NABC introduced a new model for its Division I district alignment this season, with schools arranged by state rather than by conference. The modernized
NABC Division I district alignment features 10 geographic regions that each encompass multiple states. Every Division I school in each given state belongs to that state's corresponding district.
All-South Atlantic District
First Team
RJ Davis, North Carolina
Cooper Flagg, Duke
Chase Hunter, Clemson
Taje' Kelly, Charleston Southern
Kon Knueppel, Duke
Jordan Marsh, UNC Asheville
Collin Murray-Boyles, South Carolina
Asa Newell, Georgia
Hunter Sallis, Wake Forest
Ian Schieffelin, Clemson
Second Team
Reed Bailey, Davidson
Ante Brzovic, Charleston
Kimani Hamilton, High Point
Cameron Hildreth, Wake Forest
Khaman Maluach, Duke
Donovan Newby, UNCW
PJay Smith Jr., Furman
Myles Tate, Appalachian State
D'Maurian Williams, High Point
Adrian Wooley, Kennesaw State
Coach of the Year: Jon Scheyer, Duke
