ATLANTA, Ga. – The Benedict College Tigers men's basketball team has been picked to finish second in the SIAC East Division, and placed two players on the 2021-22 SIAC Preseason All-Conference team, the league announced today.
Tajh Green was named to the preseason first team, while
Timothy Bing Jr. was named to the second team.
The preseason honors and predicted order of finish are voted on by the league's head coaches and sports information directors.
Green ranked 17th in the SIAC in 2019-20 in scoring (14.2 ppg), third in rebounding (9.4) and fourth in field goal percentage (.552). He also averaged 17.1 points and 10.4 rebounds in the 2020-21 Covid-shortened season.
Bing averaged 12.4 points and 3.8 assists per game in eight games in the 2020-21 Covid-shortened season.
Albany State, the 2021 tournament runner-up, was picked to win the East Division. Benedict, coming off a 9-1 record in 2020-21, was picked to finish second. Clark Atlanta was picked third, followed by Morehouse, Savannah State, Fort Valley State, and SIAC newcomers Allen and Edward Waters.
Benedict will open the season with an exhibition game on Thursday, Nov. 4 against the University of South Carolina. The regular season will tip off on Nov. 12 against Rollins College in Winter Park, Florida. The home opener is Nov. 16 against Shaw University.
Senior guard Gregg Boyd of Tuskegee has been voted the 2021 SIAC Preseason Player of the Year and senior forward Jaquan Lawrence of LeMoyne-Owen has earned the Preseason Defensive Player of the Year selection.
Two-time defending champion Miles has been voted as the preseason favorite to win the 2021-22 SIAC Men's Basketball Western Division.
2021-22 SIAC Men's Basketball Preseason Awards
| First Team |
| Xavier Brewer |
Morehouse |
Junior |
Forward |
Atlanta, Ga. |
| Gregg Boyd |
Tuskegee |
Senior |
Guard |
Seat Pleasant, Md. |
| Jaquan Lawrence |
LeMoyne-Owen |
Senior |
Forward |
Chicago, Il. |
| Malik Parker |
Albany State |
Senior |
Guard |
Chicago, Il. |
| Tajh Green |
Benedict |
Redshirt Senior |
Forward |
Rome, Ga. |
| Second Team |
| Yasim Hooker |
Miles |
Senior |
Guard |
Newark, NJ |
| Jordan Simpson |
Albany State |
Senior |
Forward |
Pasadena, Cal. |
| Timothy Bing Jr. |
Benedict |
Senior |
Guard |
Suitland, Md. |
| Devin Booker |
Tuskegee |
Junior |
Guard |
Chicago, Ill. |
| Trey DeLoach |
Savannah State |
Senior |
Guard |
Richmond Hill, Ga. |
Preseason Superlative Awards
Preseason Player of the Year
Gregg Boyd, Tuskegee
Defensive Player of the Year
Jaquan Lawrence, LeMoyne-Owen
Men's Basketball Preseason Rankings by Division
East Division
1. Albany State
2. Benedict
3. Clark Atlanta
4. Morehouse
5. Savannah State
6. Fort Valley State
7. Allen*
8. Edward Waters*
West Division
1. Miles
2. Tuskegee
3. Central State
4. Kentucky State
5. LeMoyne-Owen
6. Lane
7. Spring Hill
*Allen University and Edward Waters University are first-year provisional members of NCAA Division II and are not eligible for SIAC nor NCAA football postseason competition.
