WASHINGTON — Davidson senior forward Luka Brajkovic was named the Atlantic 10 Conference Men’s Basketball Player of the Year while St. Bonaventure's junior center Osun Osunniyi was named Defensive Player of the Year. Long-time Davidson bench boss Bob McKillop was voted A-10 Coach of the Year. The league announced its awards Tuesday in advance of the 2022 Men’s Basketball Championship, which begins Wednesday at Capital One Arena.
Sensational Dayton freshman forward DaRon Holmes II was selected as A-10 Rookie of the Year, and his teammate, redshirt freshman guard Koby Brea was chosen as the Sixth Man of the Year. The Chris Daniels Most Improved Player award went to Fordham graduate student forward Chuba Ohams.
The major awards, the three six-member All-Conference teams, and the five-member All-Defensive and All-Rookie teams were nominated and voted on by the conference’s 14 head coaches. The men's basketball communications directors selected the five-member All-Academic team.
Brajkovic averaged 14.6 points per game to rank 12th in scoring in the A-10 and 7.23 in rebounds per game to rank ninth in the league. He was fourth in field goal percentage (.587) and sixth in 3-point percentage (.423). He led the Wildcats to a 25-5 record and the A-10 Regular Season Title. A native of Feldkirch, Austria, Brajkovic is the fourth Davidson student-athlete to be named A-10 Player of the Year since the 'Cats joined the league in 2014. He was also named to the All-Conference First Team.
McKillop led Davidson to its second A-10 Regular Season Title and 25 wins. Under his tutelage, the Wildcats have one of the most efficient offenses in the country, ranking in the top 20 in all ball control categories. They rank 17th nationally in field goal percentage and eighth nationally in 3-point percentage. They lead the league in scoring margin at +9.77, rate second in scoring (75.8 points per game) and fourth in scoring defense (66.0 points allowed per game).
Osunniyi ranks eighth nationally and leads the Atlantic 10 with 2.93 blocks per game. He's also sixth in the league in rebounding (7.52 rebounds per game), second in offensive rebounding (2.81 per game) and sixth in the A-10 in double-doubles (4). A Pleasantville, N.J., native, he was also named to the All-Conference Second Team and the All-Defensive Team.
Holmes leads the Atlantic 10 in field goal percentage at .642 and was a five-time A-10 Rookie of the Week selection. He averaged 13 points per game to rank 18th in A-10 league games and grabbed 6.83 rebounds in league play to rank 13th. He's also fourth in overall blocked shots with 2.29, and set the Dayton blocked shots record with 71. A Goodyear, Ariz., native, he was also named to the All-Conference Second Team, the All-Defensive Team and the All-Rookie Team.
Ohams ranks fifth nationally in both rebounds (11.5 per game) and defensive rebounds (8.57 per game). He is fifth nationally and first in the A-10 in double-doubles with 20, and he ranks 11th in the league in points per game (14.6). He led Fordham to its first .500 or better season since the 2015-16 campaign (17-14). He improved 3.6 points and 3.3 boards per game over the 2019-20 season, his last full season. A native of The Bronx, N.Y., Ohams was also named All-Conference Second Team and to the All-Defensive Team.
Brea saw action in every game this season, a consistent force off the bench with just two total starts on the year. The redshirt freshman paved the way for UD at the 3-point line, shooting an A-10 fifth-best 42.4 percent (56-of-132) from beyond the arc. A product of Washington Heights, N.Y., Brea helped guide Dayton to a signature non-conference victory over then-No. 4 Kansas as well as 14-4 league record and its highest seed since the 2017 A-10 Championship.
Joining Brajkovic on the All-Conference First Team were his teammate Hyunjung Lee, Josh Oduro (George Mason), Jalen Adaway (St. Bonaventure), Yuri Collins (Saint Louis), and Vince Williams (VCU). The All-Conference second team consisted of Foster Loyer (Davidson), Tyler Burton (Richmond), Ace Baldwin (VCU), Holmes, Ohams and Osunniyi. Toumani Camara (Dayton), Joe Bamisile and James Bishop (George Washington) Jacob Gilyard (Richmond), Kyle Lofton (St. Bonaventure), and Gibson Jimerson (Saint Louis) made up the All-Conference Third Team.
Jimerson, D'Shawn Schwartz (George Mason), Christian Ray (La Salle), Jaren Holmes (St. Bonaventure) and Fred Thatch, Jr. (Saint Louis) were named to the All-Academic team.
DaRon Holmes II, Ohams, Gilyard, Osunniyi, and were all voted to the All-Defensive team. Malachi Smith (Dayton), Brayon Freeman (George Washington), Erik Reynolds II (Saint Joseph's) and Jayden Nunn (VCU) joined DaRon Holmes II on the All-Rookie team.
2021-22 Atlantic 10 Men's Basketball Awards
Player of the Year: Luka Brajkovic, Davidson
Defensive Player of the Year: Osun Osunniyi, St. Bonaventure
Rookie of the Year: DaRon Holmes II, Dayton
Chris Daniels Most Improved Player: Chuba Ohams, Fordham
Sixth Man of the Year: Koby Brea, Dayton
Coach of the Year: Bob McKillop, Davidson
All-Conference First Team
Luka Brajkovic, Davidson
Hyunjung Lee, Davidson
Josh Oduro, George Mason
Jalen Adaway, St. Bonaventure
Yuri Collins, Saint Louis
Vince Williams, VCU
All-Conference Second Team
Foster Loyer, Davidson
DaRon Holmes II, Dayton
Chuba Ohams, Fordham
Tyler Burton, Richmond
Osun Osunniyi, St. Bonaventure
Ace Baldwin, VCU
All-Conference Third Team
Toumani Camara, Dayton
Joe Bamisile, George Washington
James Bishop, George Washington
Jacob Gilyard, Richmond
Kyle Lofton, St. Bonaventure
Gibson Jimerson, Saint Louis
All-Academic Team
D'Shawn Schwartz, George Mason
Christian Ray, La Salle
Jaren Holmes, St. Bonaventure
Fred Thatch, Jr., Saint Louis
Gibson Jimerson, Saint Louis
All-Defensive Team
DaRon Holmes II, Dayton
Chuba Ohams, Fordham
Jacob Gilyard, Richmond
Osun Osunniyi, St. Bonaventure
Yuri Collins, Saint Louis
All-Rookie Team
DaRon Holmes II, Dayton
Malachi Smith, Dayton
Brayon Freeman, George Washington
Erik Reynolds II, Saint Joseph's
Jayden Nunn, VCU