Notebook
St. Aug’s Quincy January named CIAA Defensive Player of the Year
CHARLOTTE St. Augustine’s Quincy January was named him CIAA Men’s Basketball Defensive Player of the Year on Monday at the CIAA Tournament Men’s and Women’s Tip-Off Luncheon at the Charlotte Convention Center.
January was also named to the All-CIAA men’s squad. The talented forward leads the CIAA in rebounds per game (9.9) and is fourth in blocks (33).
Despite being a stellar defender, January was caught off guard when his name was called for winning the honor.
January is one of the cornerstones to a Falcons’ squad that turned its season around down the stretch. The team has won six of its last eight games to earn a No. 2 Southern Division seed entering the CIAA Tournament, which begins Tuesday and concludes Saturday. The Falcons face Bowie State in a men’s quarterfinal game at 1 p.m. Thursday.
Because of his play on both ends of the court, January is among the nation’s Division II leaders in several categories. He ranks sixth in the nation in double-doubles (15), seventh in free throw attempts (224) and ninth in offensive rebounds per game (3.69). He also ranks 17th in total rebounds (257) and 19th in rebounds per game (9.9).
January is also a CIAA crowd-pleaser, known for his ferocious - dunks.
Wake Forest: Freshman guard Bryant Crawford was named ACC Rookie of the Week, conference officials announced on Monday, after strong performances at Pitt and against Boston College.
Shaw: Joell Hopkins Jr. was named to the 2016 All-CIAA Team.
Hopkins, of Raleigh, is the third leading scorer on the team, averaging 12.4 points per game, while averaging a team-best 6.4 rebounds. He has scored at least 20 points in three games, including a career-high 25 in the 108-93 victory over Johnson C. Smith on Jan. 30. He was 10-of-16 from the field (62 percent) and 5-of-8 from the foul line (62 percent).
Women’s Basketball
Shaw Kaula Jacks was named to the 2016 All- CIAA Team.
UNC: On the strength of her 30-point, 13-rebound performance on Sunday, guard Stephanie Watts has earned ACC Rookie of the Week honors for the second-straight week and the fourth time this season.
Women’s Soccer
NC State: Kim Kern, a former standout at the goalkeeper position and assistant coach of the program from 2013-16, stepped down from her position to pursue a professional career with Oulu Nice of the Finnish First Division.
Softball
UNC: Shortstop Kristen Brown was named ACC Softball Player of the Week. Brown led the Tar Heels by batting .500 with a 1.250 slugging percentage and .667 on base percentage in their five games. The senior totaled six hits, three home runs, eight RBIs and two stolen bases in Carolina’s four games in the ACC/Big Ten Softball Challenge.
Baseball
UNC: Zac Gallen was named ACC Pitcher of the Week. Gallen allowed just four hits in 7 2/3 shutout innings as the Tar Heels blanked No. 9 UCLA on the road in the opening game of the season. A junior from Gibbsboro, N.J., Gallen struckout 11 batters, one shy of his career high, and allowed just one runner to reach past second base.
Campbell: After tossing seven innings of one-hit ball in an opening day win, Campbell’s Nick Thayer was named Big South Co-Pitcher of the Week.
Miscellaneous
Raleigh Sports Club: Mick Mixon, Radio Voice of the Carolina Panthers, will be the special guest speaker.
Meetings are in Bradley Hall in Highland United Methodist Church, 1901 Ridge Road at the intersection with Lake Boone Trail. Doors open at 10:50 a.m. Fee is $15 for members and $25 for guests.
From news releases
This story was originally published February 22, 2016 at 6:30 PM with the headline "Notebook."