Browder goes back-to-back as SAC Presidents’ Award winner
ROCK HILL, S.C. – For the seventh time in South Atlantic Conference history, a man has gone back-to-back as the winner of the league’s Presidents’ Award, the conference office announced Friday afternoon.
VIDEO: Jack Browder Interview
ROCK HILL, S.C. – For the seventh time in South Atlantic Conference history, a man has gone back-to-back as the winner of the league's Presidents' Award, the conference office announced Friday afternoon.
Carson-Newman men's basketball player Jack Browder (Kingsport, Tenn.) repeats as the winner of the award after becoming the first man in the athletic department's history to win the honor last year. Browder joins women's swimmer Rachel Peden (2023) and softball pitcher and Hall of Famer Marci Mitchell (2002 and 2003) as the only C-N recipients of the award all-time.
He joins Myles Moffat (Lenoir-Rhyne lacrosse 2022-23), Taylor Rakes (Tusculum baseball 2012-13), Jarrell NeSmith (Tusculum football 2009-10), Kevin Kerr (Catawba soccer 1999-00), Edwin Odugba (Gardner-Webb soccer 1995-96) and Peter Lindstrom (Elon tennis 1992-93) as the only repeat winners for the award.
The highest individual honor presented annually by the South Atlantic Conference, the President's Award is voted on by the league's Faculty Athletic Representatives and to be eligible, student-athletes must exemplify excellence in athletics, academics and community service. Further, to be nominated for this prestigious award, the individual must have been honored as the Scholar-Athlete of the Year during the year in one of the league's 20 sponsored sports.
Browder adds the laurel to an already well-stocked trophy case. He was named the College Sports Communicators Academic All-America Team Member of the Year For NCAA Division II in April.
Browder earns Academic All-America First Team honors for a second straight year to go along with his spot at the head of the table on the team.
Browder is the first Carson-Newman student-athlete in any sport to win the award. He is 12th player in league history to win the award.
The junior follows Anderson's Nick Trull (2011-12) as the only men's basketball players to hoist this hardware. He is just the third man in the league's history to win the honor, joining Trull and Tusculum baseball's Taylor Rakes (2012-13).
With a 4.0 GPA, Browder became the eighth SAC Scholar Athlete of the Year from C-N men's basketball and the league's 10th repeat winner. He joined Colin Martin as repeat winners from C-N. Carson-Newman's eight scholar athlete honorees are the most in league history. Mars Hill and Newberry have both had five players recognized.
"I'm so pleased for Jack," head coach Chuck Benson said. "He is truly committed to excellence on the court, in the classroom and in the community. I'm not surprised, but, golly, national academic All-American is just insane. I'm so happy for him, our program and our institution. He represents us so well."
The South Atlantic Conference Scholar-Athlete of the Year award is presented annually to one student-athlete in each of the Conference's championship sports and is voted on by the SAC's Faculty Athletic Representatives Committee. The winners are selected based on their achievements in academics, athletics, service, and leadership.
"Growing up, my mom really instilled in me the importance of education," Browder said. "I've continued to carry that over through college and always try my best both in the classroom and on the basketball court."
The Kingsport, Tennessee native holds a perfect 4.0 grade point average while studying business administration. Browder has collected a variety of academic accolades over his three seasons with the Eagles. He is a three-time Carson-Newman Dean's List Member, a three-time Platinum Eagle Scholar, a three-time Hope Scholar, a three-time Presidential Scholar and a two-time CSC Academic All-District team member. Last year he earned first team Academic All-America honors and was selected as Carson-Newman's first male recipient of the SAC's President's Award as well as the D2CCA Regional Scholar Athlete of the Year. He was recognized this season at the SAC men's basketball championships in Rock Hill as the Elite 23 winner, as the student athlete competing at the finals site with the highest GPA.
Browder led C-N with 19.7 points per game. He also averaged a team-best 8.8 rebounds per game. He has produced 30 double-digit scoring efforts this season, including 15, 20-point efforts. He led the conference with 14 double-double games this season, and was the only player in the league in the top four in scoring and rebounding.
A four-time SAC Player of the Week honoree, Browder was named NABC National Player of the Week on Dec. 10.
The junior turned in back-to-back 30-point games, and is the first Eagle this century to score 30 points in three straight games.
He has scored 99 points in a three-game stretch – the fifth time this century a player has scored more than 90 in a three-game span for C-N. Browder's 99 are second only to Charles Clark's 110 during the stretch where he had his 54-point triple-double and earned his second national player of the week award.
For the week, Browder averaged 33 points, 11 rebounds and two blocks per game. He made 75 percent of his shots, 88.9 percent of his threes and all 16 of his free throws.
He started his week with a career-night in an 87-81 loss to UVA Wise. He scored 36 points and grabbed 16 boards – both career days. The 16 rebounds are the tied for the seventh-most in school history and the third-most in the NCAA Division II era.
