Longwood players earn Big South postseason honors

Published 2:17 pm Friday, March 3, 2023

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FARMVILLE – Add another first for Longwood men’s basketball: back-to-back seasons with an All-Big South First Team selection.

The Big South Conference office announced its annual awards on Tuesday afternoon, and Isaiah Wilkins was named All-Big South First Team for a second straight season.

DeShaun Wade earned All-Big South Honorable Mention for a second straight season as well, and Jesper Granlund was named to the Big South All-Academic team.

Longwood

Isaiah Wilkins, who earned All-Conference First Team honors this week, drives in for a layup against UNC Asheville. (Photo by Connor Thompson)

Wilkins makes history, Wade hits milestone 

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Wilkins became the first player in the program to earn back-to-back spots as a first teamer in program history after being selected for the same honor a season ago. He led Longwood in scoring and rebounding this year and has stuffed the stat sheet all season.

The Winston-Salem native averages 13 points, 5.7 rebounds, 1.5 assists and 1.2 steals per game. A seasoned veteran, he led the Lancers in scoring six times in their final seven games as Longwood won 20 games in back-to-back seasons for the first time in program history. He was one of Longwood’s most consistent players and scored in double figures 25 times.

Wade scored his 1,000th point as a Lancer earlier this year, and he helped Longwood crest the 20-win plateau with a mix of timely shooting and stout defense at the point of attack.

A native of Virginia Beach, Wade averaged 9.6 points per game while making a team-best 57 threes. He routinely draws the other team’s top perimeter scorer on defense, and he chipped in offensively by scoring in double figures 15 times.

Granland makes All-Academic Team

Granlund earned a spot on the All-Academic Team while also playing a major role on the court for the Lancers. He holds a 3.83 GPA while also playing in all 31 games.

The Helskinki native averaged 6.1 points per game while serving as a jack-of-all trades on the court. He scored in double figures eight times this season while starting in 25 games.

What’s next for the Longwood men’s basketball team? 

The Lancers closed the regular season 20-11 and claimed the second seed in the 2023 Hercules Tires Big South Men’s Basketball Championship. On Friday at 6 p.m., Longwood plays the winner of Campbell and Presbyterian.

All Longwood tournament games will be aired on the radio WVHL 92.9 Kickin’ Country. They will be aired on ESPN+ through the semifinals, and the championship game will be aired on ESPN2.

 

To see more about the Lancers big upcoming weekend click here.