NEW ORLEANS – University of South Alabama juniors Josh Ajayi and Trhae Mitchell were voted to the all-Sun Belt Conference Men's Basketball teams, the league announced Monday afternoon.

Ajayi was named to the second team and Mitchell earned third-team honors. It is the first time the USA men's basketball program has had two honorees since 2008-09.

A native of El Monte, Calif., Ajayi leads the Sun Belt in field-goal percentage (.565) and ranks in the top 10 in scoring (16.2 ppg, 10th), rebounding (7.6 rpg, T-10th) and blocks (0.9 bpg, 8th).

He is first on the team in both scoring and rebounding and second in blocks. Ajayi has scored 20 points or more a team-best nine times, including 26 twice, against Georgia Southern and Appalachian State.

Ajayi has recorded 10 double-doubles this season, second in the Sun Belt, and put together a run of 20 straight games with 10 points or more.

He has slowly worked himself up the USA career record book, ranking 13th in points (1,215), eighth in rebounds (603), ninth in free throws (292) and 12th in field goals (436).

Mitchell has made a huge leap as a junior, averaging 14.0 points per game, which is almost triple his career average coming into the season. He ranks in the top 10 in the Sun Belt in five different categories, including blocks (1.9 bpg, 2nd), field-goal percentage (.487, 6th), assists (3.6 apg, 7th) and rebounding (7.5 rpg, 8th).

The Austell, Ga., native set a new career high with 31 points at Louisiana and followed that up two days later with 23 points at ULM, earning him player of the week honors from the conference.

Mitchell is the second player in school history to have 200 rebounds and 100 assists in the same season, and his current assist total of 112 is the most by a USA player since 2007-08.

On the defensive end of the floor, he leads the team with 59 blocks, the most by a Jaguar since 2012-13, and 37 steals. He ranks fourth in school history in blocks with 126.

The Jaguars open Sun Belt Tournament play Tuesday night against Arkansas State at 7 p.m.

For more information about South Alabama athletics, check back with www.usajaguars.com, and follow the Jaguars at www.twitter.com/WeAreSouth_JAGS. Season tickets for all Jaguar athletic events can be purchased by calling (251) 461-1USA (1872).

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