Mocs Malachi Smith and Lamont Paris Win Major SoCon Awards

(gomocs.com) SPARTANBURG, S.C. — Chattanooga Mocs men’s basketball sophomore guard Malachi Smith has been named the Southern Conference Player of the Year in both the coaches and SoCon Sports Media Association postseason polls while head coach Lamont Paris earned Coach of the Year honors in the coaches poll, the league office announced Wednesday afternoon.

Smith is the program’s first player of the year since Johnny Taylor following the 1996-97 season while becoming just the fifth Moc to win the Coaches Player of the Year award and fourth to ever claim the Malcom U. Pitt Award (media). Smith was also named to the 2021 All-SoCon First Team a season ago. He is the sixth different Moc in total to earn a SoCon POTY award.

PAST UTC WINNERS
Willie White, 1981-82, media
Keith Nelson, 1991-92, coaches
Tim Brooks, 1992-93, coaches & media
Chad Copeland, 1993-94, coaches
Johnny Taylor, 1996-97, coaches & media
Malachi Smith, 2021-22, coaches & media

Smith leads the SoCon and ranks 17^th in Division I with a 20.3 points per game average while sitting sixth nationally with 628 total points, which is sixth most in Mocs history. Smith ranked fourth in the SoCon in field goal percentage (51.0%), seventh in rebounding (6.6rpg), third in steals (1.7spg) and sixth in three-point percentage (41.2%).

Paris becomes the fourth UTC head coach to claim the Coaches Coach of the Year award and the first since Matt McCall took honors in 2015-16. Mack McCarthy was a back-to-back winner of the award in 1991-92 and 1992-93.

Paris led Chattanooga to a league-best 24-7 overall record this season while capturing a school record and national-best 12 road wins. Over the past three seasons, Paris has guided UTC to a stellar 62-28 (.689) overall record while playing to a 33-19 (.635) mark in SoCon play.

In addition to the pair of top honors, graduate guard David Jean-Baptiste was selected to the All-SoCon Second Team, in each of the two polls, for the second-straight year following his noteworthy final campaign in a Mocs uniform.

Jean-Baptiste averaged 14.6 points per game this season while knocking down 83 three pointers, ranking 13^th and fifth, respectively, in the SoCon. For his career, Jean-Baptiste ranks fourth all-time in scoring in program history (1,699) while holding the school’s three-point record with 282.

Chattanooga (24-7) holds the top seed in this week’s Southern Conference Tournament held in Asheville, N.C., at the Harrah’s Cherokee Center. The Mocs will face the winner of No. 8 ETSU / No. 9 The Citadel in the quarterfinals on Saturday, March 5, at 12 p.m. ET.

For all things SoCon Tournament, please visit the tournament website here. Full 2021-22 All-SoCon teams and awards are below.

Coaches Poll
Player of the Year
Malachi Smith, So., G, Chattanooga

Freshman of the Year
Jason Roche, F, The Citadel

Defensive Player of the Year
Jalen Slawson, Sr., F, Furman

Coach of the Year
Lamont Paris, Chattanooga

First Team
Mike Bothwell, Sr., G, Furman
Jalen Slawson, Sr., F, Furman
Ques Glover, So., G, Samford
Malachi Smith, So., G, Chattanooga
Jake Stephens, Sr., C, VMI

Second Team
Hayden Brown, Gr., F, The Citadel
Ledarrius Brewer, Gr., G, ETSU
Felipe Haase, Sr., F, Mercer
David Jean-Baptiste, Gr., G, Chattanooga
B.J. Mack, Jr., F, Wofford

Third Team
Jordan King, So., G, ETSU
David Sloan, Gr., G, ETSU
Trey Bonham, So., G, VMI
Kamdyn Curfman, Jr., G, VMI
Nicholas Robinson, Gr., G, Western Carolina
Max Klesmit, So., G, Wofford

All-Freshman Team
Jason Roche, F, The Citadel
Mohab Yasser, G, ETSU
Jordan Jones, G, Mercer
Honor Huff, G, VMI
Marcus Banks, G, Western Carolina

SoCon Sports Media Association
Malcolm U. Pitt Player of the Year
Malachi Smith, So., G, Chattanooga

Freshman of the Year
Jason Roche, F, The Citadel

Anton Foy Coach of the Year
Bucky McMillan, Samford

First Team
Hayden Brown, Gr., F, The Citadel
Jalen Slawson, Sr., F, Furman
Ques Glover, So., G, Samford
Malachi Smith, So., G, Chattanooga
Jake Stephens, Sr., C, VMI

Second Team
Mike Bothwell, Sr., G, Furman
Felipe Haase, Sr., F, Mercer
David Jean-Baptiste, Gr., G, Chattanooga
Kamdyn Curfman, Jr., G, VMI
B.J. Mack, Jr., F, Wofford

Third Team
Ledarrius Brewer, Gr., G, ETSU
Jordan King, So., G, ETSU
De’Monte Buckingham, Gr., G, UNCG
Trey Bonham, So., G, VMI
Max Klesmit, So., G, Wofford

All-Freshman Team
Jason Roche, F, The Citadel
Mohab Yasser, G, ETSU
Jordan Jones, G, Mercer
Honor Huff, G, VMI
Marcus Banks, G, Western Carolina