UNC Asheville's Drew Pember Voted 2022-23 Howard Bagwell Male Athlete of the Year
CHARLOTTE, N.C. (www.BigSouthSports.com) – UNC Asheville men’s basketball player
Drew Pember (Knoxville, Tenn.) has been voted the Big South Conference Howard Bagwell Male Athlete of the Year for the 2022-23 season by the league’s Athletics Directors, Senior Woman Administrators and Sports Information Directors, it was announced today by the conference office. The candidates for the annual award consist of the Players of the Year from each sport, and must be deemed eligible for the honor by their respective school. Pember is the first UNC Asheville recipient of the Howard Bagwell Male Athlete of the Year Award in the award’s history (since 1999-00), and is just the second basketball honoree.
Pember earned Collegeinsider.com’s Lute Olson All-America honors and Lou Henson Mid-Major All-American distinction in 2022-23, and was a finalist for both national Player of the Year awards. The Big South Player of the Year and Defensive Player of the Year in the same season for just the second time in conference history, Pember received USBWA All-District and NABC First-Team All-District accolades while leading the Bulldogs to the Big South regular-season and tournament championships. He paced the league in points per game (20.9), rebounds (9.1) and blocks (2.3), while leading the entire nation in free throws made with a Big South single-season record 266. He finished eighth nationally in total points scored (733) and became the first Bulldog to lead the league in scoring since 2013-14. Pember shined in the season-opener with 40 points and nine rebounds against UCF, before going on to score 48 points against Presbyterian College on Jan. 25 -- tied for the most in a regular-season Big South contest. He was voted Big South Tournament MVP after averaging 29.7 points and 11.3 rebounds in Asheville’s championship run.
He earned 96 points and 12 first-place votes, ahead of Campbell baseball player
Lawson Harrill (52 points, three first-place votes). USC Upstate track & field athlete
Channing Ferguson was third with 44 points (three first-place votes).
In March 2000, the Big South Conference Executive Committee voted to create an annual Male and Female Student-Athlete of the Year award, and named the male award in honor of former Charleston Southern Athletic Director
Howard Bagwell, who was one of the founders of the Big South Conference and an inaugural inductee into the league’s Hall of Fame. The Athlete of the Year awards have been presented annually since 1999-00, with the exception of the 2019-20 due to the season being incomplete and eventually canceled due to the coronavirus pandemic. The annual Bagwell Male Athlete of the Year honorees are listed below.
HOWARD BAGWELL MALE ATHLETE OF THE YEAR
2022-23 - Drew Pember, UNC Asheville (basketball)
2021-22 - Athanas Kioko, Campbell (cross country/track & field)
2020-21 - Athanas Kioko Campbell (cross country/track & field)
2018-19 - Chris Clemons, Campbell (basketball)
2017-18 - Amon Kemboi, Campbell (cross country/track & field)
2016-17 - Amon Terer, Campbell (cross country/track & field)
2015-16 - Andrew Beckwith, Coastal Carolina (baseball)
2014-15 - Quinn Backus, Coastal Carolina (football)
2013-14 - Lorenzo Taliaferro, Coastal Carolina (football)
2012-13 - Miguel Maysonet, Stony Brook (football)
2011-12 - Ashton Bennett, Coastal Carolina (soccer)
2010-11 - Sam Chelanga, Liberty (cross country/track & field)
2009-10 - Sam Chelanga, Liberty (cross country/track & field)
2008-09 - Sam Chelanga, Liberty (cross country/track & field)
2007-08 - Josh McDougal, Liberty (cross country/track & field)
2006-07 - Josh McDougal, Liberty (cross country/track & field)
2005-06 - Josh McDougal, Liberty (cross country/track & field)
2004-05 - Mike Costanzo, Coastal Carolina (baseball)
2003-04 - Joseph Ngwenya, Coastal Carolina (soccer)
2002-03 - Joseph Ngwenya, Coastal Carolina (soccer)
2001-02 - Justin Owens, Coastal Carolina (baseball)
2000-01 - Jason Colson, Winthrop (baseball)
1999-00 - Keith Butler, Liberty (baseball)