ROCK HILL, S.C. – After closing out the regular season with a regular season title and a 24-3 overall record, the No. 7 Lincoln Memorial University Railsplitters men's basketball program placed four on the South Atlantic Conference All-Conference teams, a nod on the All-Freshman Team and captured SAC Coach of the Year, announced the league on Thursday morning.
 
First, a redshirt sophomore from Columbus, Ohio, Chase Rankin has been a staple in the lineup all season for the Blue and Gray and did not miss a beat. He averaged 13.4 points on the year and dished out a conference-best 6.1 assists per game, that mark also places him at eighth place nationally. Rankin also ranks sixth in the conference in shooting percentage, making a staggering 57.4 percent of his shots. He is also the only player in program history to record two triple-doubles, only one of two players in the SAC to have at least one this season. Rankin was selected to the South Atlantic Conference All-Conference First Team.
 
"I'm extremely proud and happy for Chase," said head coach Jeremiah Samarrippas. "There's not a more deserving person in our conference. Chase has the rare ability to affect the game in various ways and is a borderline triple double threat every game. But one of the most impressive things about chase is how he worked to get to this point. His approach & maturity sets him apart, plus he's one of the best leaders I've ever coached."
 
A junior from Rancho Santa Margarita, California, Jordan Guest has been a mainstay in the lineup. Guest averaged 16.6 points throughout the regular season, finishing fourth in the conference in scoring. He also was a dominant force on the defensive end, controlling the glass for Lincoln Memorial as he pulled down 7.4 rebounds per game including a conference-best 6.22 defensive rebounds per game. He has been named to the 2022 Bevo Francis Award Top 50 Watch List and can now add Second Team All-Conference to his list of postseason awards.
 
"A great honor for Jordan as we all know he's one of the best players in the country," said Samarrippas. "He holds himself to a high standard and expects to be at his best every game. His ability to score inside and outside makes him very tough to defend. There's no doubt in my mind that he's not only one of the top players in the conference but one of the elite players in NCAA Division II."
 
A native of Newport, Kentucky, Me'kell Burries picked up All-SAC Second Team honors after providing a spark of energy for the Railsplitters. He finished third on the team in scoring with 13.1 points per game and shot over 50 percent from the field on the year, including leading the team from beyond the arc with a 47.2 three-point shooting percentage.
 
"A well-deserved honor for Mekell as he continues to get better every day," said Samarrippas "Mekell was one of the best scorers in the league this season and he's not even close to reaching his ceiling as a player. Expect more from Mekell in the future, as we see him developing into one of the elite players in the country.
 
One of the most decorated players in Lincoln Memorial men's basketball history, Alex Dahling shined in his graduate season in Harrogate, picking up Third Team All-Conference honors. The Cincinnati, Ohio native finished the season fourth on the team in scoring with 12.3 points per game and became the 33^rd member of the LMU 1,000-point club this season.
 
"I'm very happy for Alex as he adds another decorated honor to his already historical career in an LMU Uniform," said Samarrippas. "Simply put, Alex Dahling is a winner and will do whatever is needed for the betterment of the team."
 
Rounding out the player awards is freshman Matthew Sells. A Rickman, Tennessee native, the freshman was named to the SAC All-Freshman Team after producing 11.2 points per game, knocking down 45.7 percent of his shots from the field. Sells tallied a career-high 23 points on November 27 in a win over Coker.
 
"A great accomplishment for Sells early in his career," said Samarrippas. "This recognition was something we tried to challenge him to achieve in his first year with us. His play as a true freshman has been outstanding and is one of the major reasons for our success as a team this season. We expect a lot from Sells as he continues to improve and build his own legacy in our program.'
 
Rounding out the SAC Awards, in his first season at the helm of the Lincoln Memorial Railsplitters, head coach Jeremiah Samarrippas was selected as the 2021-22 SAC Coach of the Year. Leading the Railsplitters to a 24-3 overall record on the regular season, his Splitter squad finished the season leading the league in scoring, averaging 88.5 points a game while also having the best defense in the league, limiting the opposition to a 39.8 shooting percentage average for the season.
 
"I'm humbled and grateful to receive this honor," said head coach Jeremiah Samarrippas. "This wouldn't be possible without an elite coaching staff, who work tirelessly behind the scenes, as well as having high-level players, that show up each day to get better.  They deserve all the recognition. I see this as a team award and credit all the success to the players, players win games not coaches. At LMU, we are privileged to be supported by an administration and university that is dedicated to our success."
 
2021-22 South Atlantic Conference Men's Basketball All-Conference
First Team
Jarren Cottingham, Wingate
Kenny Dye, Queens
Trenton Gibson, Tusculum
Chase Rankin, Lincoln Memorial 
Caleb Robinson, Catawba
Jamari Smith, Queens
 
Second Team
TJ Brown, Newberry
Me'kell Burries, Lincoln Memorial
Tripp Davis, Carson-Newman
Jordan Guest, Lincoln Memorial
Crosby James II, Anderson
Quandaveon McCollum, Newberry
 
Third Team
Alex Dahling, Lincoln Memorial
Parker Dortch, Anderson
Ben Gahlert, Limestone
Inady Legiste, Tusculum
TJ Nesmith, Lenoir-Rhyne
Bernard Pelote, Catawba
 
All-Freshman
Kadyn Dawkins, Mars Hill
Myles Jenkins, Anderson
Joel Pettiford, UVA Wise
Kris Robinson, Catawba
Matthew Sells, Lincoln Memorial
 
Player of the Year
Jamari Smith, Queens
 
Freshman of the Year
Kadyn Dawkins, Mars Hill
 
Defensive Player of the Year
Bryant Thomas, Carson-Newman
 
Coach of the Year
Jeremiah Samarrippas, Lincoln Memorial

Statistical Champions
Points Per Game – Crosby James, Anderson; 17.6
Three-Pointers Per Game – Andreas Wilson, Wingate; 2.86
Rebounds Per Game – Bryant Thomas, Carson-Newman; 7.8
Blocked Shots Per Game – Bryant Thomas, Carson-Newman; 2.22
Field Goal Percentage – TJ Nesmith, Lenoir-Rhyne; 62.3
Assists Per Game – Chase Rankin, Lincoln Memorial; 6.1
Assist-to-Turnover Ratio – Chase Rankin, Lincoln Memorial; 2.89
Steals Per Game – Tripp Davis, Carson-Newman; 2.62
Three-Point Field Goal Percentage – Matthew Sells, Lincoln Memorial; 40.0
Free Throw Percentage – Jalen Johnson, Lenoir-Rhyne; 92.0
Team Scoring Offense – Lincoln Memorial; 88.2
Team Steals – Queens; 231
Team Field Goal Percentage – Lincoln Memorial; 51.4
Team FG Percentage Defense – Lincoln Memorial; 39.8
Team Assists – Lincoln Memorial; 518
Team Rebounds – Lincoln Memorial; 1,167
Team Blocked Shots – Mars Hill; 114
Team Three-Point FG Percentage – Lincoln Memorial; 39.3
Team Scoring Defense – Carson-Newman; 67.1
Team Free Throw Percentage – Lincoln Memorial; 76.4
Team Assist-to-Turnover Ratio – Lenoir-Rhyne; 1.57