University of Southern Indiana men’s basketball Head Coach Rodney Watson and senior guard Jamar Smith (Peoria, Illinois) were named the GLVC Coach of the Year and Player of the Year, respectively, in a vote of the conference coaches. Senior forward Tyrone Bradshaw (Cincinnati, Ohio) also was selected for the GLVC second team, while senior forward Jeron Lewis (Ft. Wayne, Indiana) was named to the third team posthumously.

Watson joins an elite group of four other USI coaches that have been named the conference coach of the year and just the second to do it during his rookie season at the helm. Bruce Pearl was named the GLVC Coach of the Year after in his first season at USI in 1992-93.

The Division II Bulletin national Coach of the Month in January led
the Screaming Eagles to a 24-3 overall record, starting the year with a school-record 23 straight wins and a number two national ranking for three weeks in February. He also directed USI to a 15-3 mark in the GLVC, leading the East Division until the final week of the season.

Smith, who is the seventh Eagle to be named GLVC Player of the Year, averaged a team-high 21.6 points per game and set the USI single-game (10) and the single-season (108) marks for three-point field goals made. The first team All-GLVC selection became the second USI men’s basketball player to reach the 40-point plateau in a game, the most by an Eagle in the history of the Physical Activities Center. He also averaged 4.1 rebounds and 3.7 assists per game.

The senior physical education major was named GLVC Player of the Week twice this year and the December Division II Bulletin Player of the Month nationally.

Bradshaw had a breakout season as a senior averaging 14.0 points and 5.8 rebounds per game, while leading the conference with 61 blocked shots. The senior became a major force in the final month of the season when he averaged 16.6 points and 7.8 rebounds per contest. He also had a career-high 24 points against Kentucky Wesleyan College, 17 rebounds versus Rockhurst University, a pair of double-doubles and earned a GLVC Player of the Week award in February.

Lewis also was having a career year before passing away after collapsing in the January game at KWC. The senior center was averaging 12.3 points and 8.1 rebounds per game, while recording five double-doubles.

Nationally, USI is ranked 10th in the NABC/Division II Top 25 poll.