NEW ORLEANS – Two University of South Alabama men's basketball seniors have been honored for the second straight season with the announcement of the all-Sun Belt Conference teams by the league office on Thursday.

Josh Ajayi was voted first-team all-conference and Trhae Mitchell earned third-team all-Sun Belt honors, giving the Jaguars multiple honorees in back-to-back years for the first time since 2008 and '09.

Ajayi, a forward from El Monte, Calif., has twice been named the league's Player of the Week this season while leading the Jags in scoring (14.6 ppg), rebounding 7.2 rpg) and field-goal percentage (56.2%).  He paces the SBC in field-goal percentage and is second with a team-best eight double-doubles to stand among the top 40 and 100, respectively, in the country in those categories.  Ajayi is also ranked in the top 10 in the conference in scoring and rebounding as well as with a 79.6 free-throw percentage.

Entering postseason play, he shares the team lead with 22 contests posting 10 or more points, and has paced the team in scoring 11 times and rebounding on 15 occasions; those are both the most on the squad.  That includes recording 20-plus points in eight contests highlighted by a 30-point effort against Southern Miss — the most by a Jaguar this season — while four of his five double-doubles in conference play have come in USA wins.

Ajayi was a second-team all-Sun Belt selection a year ago.

One of four Jags scoring in double figures on the year — including posting an average that is higher in league games — Mitchell is recording 11.1 points and 5.8 rebounds per outing and has added 77 assists, 47 blocked shots and 32 steals.  In addition to leading USA in assists and blocks and standing second in rebounding, the Austell, Ga., native is among the top 10 in the conference in blocks (second) and rebounds (15th) per contest; that includes ranking in the top 100 nationally in blocked shots.

The forward has recorded a double-figure point total 17 times this season, highlighted by three outings with 20-plus points all coming in wins in SBC play, while grabbing 10-plus rebounds on four occasions including posting double-doubles in victories over ULM and Texas State.  His 17 games pacing the Jaguars in blocks and 15 contests leading them in assists are both best on the team, and all four times he's topped the squad in scoring have come against Sun Belt opponents.

It's the second season in a row that Mitchell has been chosen third-team all-league.

South Alabama will next be in action on Saturday, March 14, when the second of two semifinals at the Sun Belt Tournament gets underway at 2 p.m. (CDT) at the Smoothie King Center in New Orleans.

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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