NEW ORLEANS — Arkansas State freshman forward Norchad Omier was named the Sun Belt Player of the Year to headline the 2021-22 Sun Belt Conference Men’s Basketball Postseason Awards and All-Conference Teams announced Tuesday. The honors were voted upon by the conference’s 12 head coaches. 
 
Omier was also named the Defensive Player of the Year; Troy junior forward Efe Odigie was selected as the Newcomer of the Year; Troy freshman guard Duke Deen was dubbed the Freshman of the Year; Georgia Southern senior guard Elijah McCadden was picked as the Sixth Man of the Year and Texas State head coach Terrence Johnson was honored as the Joe Gottfried Coach of the Year for the second-straight season. 
 
Omier became the first Sun Belt student-athlete since Mike Wells of Western Kentucky in 2003-04 to sweep the Player and Defensive Player of the Year honors. The Bluefields, Nicaragua, native led the Sun Belt with a .647 field goal percentage and 12.0 rebounds per game, while ranking among the Top 10 in the conference in blocks per game (2nd, 2.1) points per game (3rd, 17.2) and steals per game (7th, 1.6). Omier is the Arkansas State’s first Player of the Year since Chico Fletcher won back-to-back honors in 1997-98 and 1998-99 and the Red Wolves’ first Defensive Player of the Year pick since Jason Jennings in 2001-02. 

     
 
Odigie—a transfer from UTEP—averaged 11.6 points and 6.5 rebounds per game, pacing a Troy club that earned a bye to the Hercules Tires Sun Belt Conference Men’s Basketball Championship quarterfinals. The Houston, Texas, native is the first Trojan to be named Newcomer of the Year since Richard Delk in 2008-09. 
 
Deen tallied 9.0 points and 3.1 assists per game alongside Odigie on a resurgent Troy club that earned the No. 4 seed in the conference tournament after finishing in the bottom two in the league in each of the prior three seasons. The Shreveport, La., product is Troy’s first Freshman of the Year since Wesley Person in 2014-15. 

      
 
Despite coming off the bench in the majority of contests, Elijah McCadden averaged a team-high 11.6 points and 2.4 assists per game for Georgia Southern and also contributed 4.5 rebounds per game. Each of the Rocky Mount, N.C., native’s marks rank among the Top 25 in the Sun Belt this season. 
 
Johnson led Texas State to back-to-back Sun Belt Conference regular-season crowns, capping the second title with a ninth-game winning streak to close out the regular season. Heading into the Hercules Tires Sun Belt Conference Men’s Basketball Championship, the Bobcats have already secured a 20-win season for the fourth time in the past six seasons. 

     
 
South Alabama paced all Sun Belt programs with three All-Sun Belt honorees, while Georgia State (2), Louisiana (2) and Texas State (2) also produced multiple All-Sun Belt picks. 

The annual awards precede the 2022 Hercules Tires Sun Belt Conference Men’s Basketball Championship, set to take place March 2-7 at the Pensacola Bay Center in Pensacola, Fla. For complete championship information, click here.  
 
2021-22 SUN BELT CONFERENCE MEN’S BASKETBALL POSTSEASON AWARDS
Player of the Year
Norchad Omier, Arkansas State (Fr., F – Bluefields, Nicaragua) 
 
Defensive Player of the Year
Norchad Omier, Arkansas State (Fr., F – Bluefields, Nicaragua) 
 
Newcomer of the Year
Efe Odigie, Troy (Jr., F – Houston, Texas) 
 
Freshman of the Year
Duke Deen, Troy (Fr., G – Shreveport, La.) 
 
Sixth Man of the Year
Elijah McCadden, Georgia Southern (Sr., G – Rocky Mount, N.C.) 
 
Joe Gottfried Coach of the Year
Terrence Johnson, Texas State
 
All-Sun Belt First Team  
Adrian Delph, App State (Sr., G – Gastonia, N.C.) 
Norchad Omier, Arkansas State (Fr., F – Bluefields, Nicaragua) 
David Azore, UTA (Gr., G – Houston, Texas)
Caleb Asberry, Texas State (Sr., G – Pflugerville, Texas) 
Efe Odigie, Troy (Jr., F – Houston, Texas) 
 
All-Sun Belt Second Team 
Vince Cole, Coastal Carolina (Sr., G – Charleston, S.C.) 
Jordan Brown, Louisiana (So. F – Roseville, Calif.) 
Jay Jay Chandler, South Alabama (Gr., G – Katy, Texas)
Charles Manning Jr., South Alabama (Sr., G – Riverhead, N.Y.) 
Mason Harrell, Texas State (Sr., G – Midwest City, Okla.) 
 
All-Sun Belt Third Team
Corey Allen, Georgia State (Sr., G – Ypsilanti, Mich.) 
Kane Williams, Georgia State (Sr., G – Douglasville, Ga.) 
Kobe Julien, Louisiana (RS Fr., F – Baton Rouge, La.) 
Andre Jones, ULM (Gr., G – Little Rock, Ark.) 
Javon Franklin, South Alabama (Sr., F – Little Rock, Ark.)