Nwogbo Named All-Big South First Team

Longwood redshirt senior center Lotanna Nwogbo was selected to the All-Big South first team by league coaches and media, becoming the program’s first first-team selection in four years as a member of the conference.

The 6-8, 255-pound center led the Big South with 13 double-doubles while averaging 15.8 points and 8.3 rebounds per game to propel the Lancers to the No. 8 seed in the upcoming Big South Championship, their highest regular season finish since joining the league in 2012-13. Nwogbo, who also led the league in rebounding, ranked second in field goal percentage (.581, 179-of-308), fifth in blocks (1.3) and sixth in scoring while finishing his season with seven double-doubles in his final eight games.

Nwogbo’s first-team award gives the Lancers an All-Big South pick for the third straight season, following Quincy Taylor’s second-team honor last season and Tristan Carey’s honorable-mention citation in 2013-14. All three of Longwood’s All-Big South honorees have come during head coach Jayson Gee’s tenure. Nwogbo and Taylor were both members of Gee’s first recruiting class at Longwood.

“Lotanna has worked incredibly hard to get to the level he’s at today,” said Longwood head coach Jayson Gee. “He’s a rare talent and an overpowering presence that this conference may never see again. I’m happy for him to be honored at this level and receive a reward for the faithful leadership he’s displayed consistently throughout the season.”

A native of Lithonia, Ga., and a transfer from Tulane prior to the 2013-14 season, Nwogbo was among the most dominant players in the Big South. In conference games, he averaged 17.2 points, a league-best 9.4 rebounds per game, shot .617 (116-of-188) from the field, blocked 1.3 shots and averaged a Big South-leading 3.7 offensive rebounds per game and 5.7 defensive rebounds, ranking among the Big South’s top six in each of those categories. Only teammate Shaquille Johnson, at 6.0 defensive rebounds per game, outrebounded him on the defensive glass.

Nwogbo and Big South Player of the Year John Brown of High Point were the only players in the conference to average at least 14.0 points, 8.0 rebounds and 1.0 blocks per game. In two games of head-to-head action against the 6-8, 210-pound Brown – who was also named Big South Defensive Player of the Year – Nwogbo averaged 20.0 points, 12.5 rebounds and 1.5 blocks per game with double-doubles in both contests.

Eleven of Nwogbo’s 13 double-doubles came against Big South teams, including a run of seven straight in February. On the season, he scored in double figures in 27 of 31 games and grabbed at least 10 boards 13 times.

Nwogbo also shattered Longwood’s single-season dunks record, throwing down 58 to best Kevin “Coop” Jefferson’s mark of 47 set during the 1989-90 season. Nwogbo had 17 more dunks than Longwood allowed to opposing players all season.

Joining Nwogbo on the All-Big South first team were Brown, Winthrop’s Jimmy Gavin and Keon Johnson, and Presbyterian’s DeSean Murray.