Mocs Basketball Guard Trey Bonham Named SoCon Preseason Player of the Year

(soconsports.com) SPARTANBURG, S.C. (October 16, 2024) — Chattanooga Mocs men’s basketball senior guard Trey Bonham was named the Southern Conference’s Preseason Player of the Year while the team was picked to finish second in the preseason coaches’ poll, the league announced Wednesday morning.

Junior sharpshooter Honor Huff also earned laurels and was selected to the preseason All-SoCon squad as part of 10 total honorees. In the poll, Chattanooga (73, 2) collected two first-place votes and narrowly trailed Samford (77, 6) by four voting points for the top spot in the poll.

ETSU (67, 2), Wofford (58) and Furman (47) rounded out the top five among the preseason choices while UNCG (41), Mercer (35), Western Carolina (25), The Citadel (17) and VMI (10) concluded the poll. SoCon play kicks off on New Years Day 2025 with a road contest in Macon, Ga., at Mercer.

Both NABC Division I All-District Team performers last season, Bonham and Huff combined to average 33.4 points-per-game while totaling 154 3PT FGM at a 38.9% clip. The duo has been touted as one of the best backcourts in mid-major basketball by numerous media outlets and will account for nearly 40% of the returning scoring to this year’s UTC roster.

More on Bonham and Huff’s selections can be found below. Chattanooga (0-0) opens the 2024-25 season with a two-game California swing, starting with new Big Ten member USC on November 4 before traveling to perennial power Saint Mary’s on November 7.

Preseason Southern Conference Player of the Year
Trey Bonham – Sr. – Guard – Mobile, Ala.
2023-24: 22 GP (20 GS); 31.2 MPG; 16.0 PPG; 5.0 RPG; 3.6 APG; 48.4% FG; 41.3% 3PT

Bonham enters his final year in the collegiate ranks in 2024-25 coming off an All-SoCon First Team campaign last season after earning eligibility last December. He finished the season averaging 16.0 points, 5.0 rebounds and 3.5 assists per game while shooting 48.4% (120-of-248) from the field and 41.3% (45-of-109) from deep.

Appearing in 22 games while making 20 starts, Bonham scored in double figures in all but three contests while recording six 20+ scoring efforts and one career-tying performance, scoring 31 points in a road win at UNCG on February 10. He enters the season with career numbers including 1,121 points, 358 rebounds, 268 assists and 125 steals over 105 total games and 69 starts.

Preseason All-SoCon Team
Honor Huff – Jr. – Guard – Brooklyn, N.Y.
2023-24: 33 GP (33 GS); 34.4 MPG; 17.4 PPG; 2.7 RPG; 2.6 APG; 1.7 SPG; 43.4% FG; 38.0% 3PT

Huff was the lone Moc last season to start all 33 games which saw the deep-threat shooter ultimately end with All-SoCon Second Team honors. Huff finished the season averaging a team-high 17.4 points-per-game while knocking down 109 three-pointers, seventh-most in NCAA DI basketball and most among SoCon shooters.

His 575 total points scored in 2023-24 tied for 13^th most in a single season in UTC program history while becoming just the 22^nd Moc to ever surpass the 500-point total in the process. Huff also became just the fourth Moc to surpass 100 made threes in a single season with his 109 total marking the third-most ever in program history.

2024-25 Southern Conference Preseason Coaches Poll

2024-25 Preseason All-Southern Conference Team