FERRUM, Va. -- Freshman Derek Mitchell and Head Coach Bill Tharp have earned top honors on the 2008 USA South Men's Basketball All-Conference team. Mitchell has been named Rookie of the Year, while Tharp earned Coach of the Year.
2008 USA South Men's Basketball All-Conference Team
Mitchell averaged 12.6 points and 10.7 rebounds for the Panthers this season. He is one of only two players in the USA South to average a double-double, joining Player of the Year Jeremiah Lawrence (20.2 ppg, 11.2 rpg) of Shenandoah University.
Mitchell had 15 double-double performances in 26 games this season. He had career-highs of 21 points and 21 rebounds in a 71-64 loss to CNU Feb. 16 on the road.
Tharp led Ferrum to a share of the USA South regular season title this year. After having been picked to finish last in the seven-team league, the Panthers closed out regular season action at 8-4 in the USA South tying Methodist University for the regular season crown. Ferrum's last conference title came 13 years ago when the Panthers won the 1995 Dixie Conference title.
Mitchell and sophomore Keith Crump are second team All-Conference selections. Crump led Ferrum in scoring this season with 15.2 points per game. Senior Jon Godsey was named to the honorable mention team, and senior Ed Robinson was named to the USA South All-Sportsmanship team.
The Panthers went 7-19 in Tharp's first season in 205-06, then improved to 12-15 in 2006-07. Ferrum's 14-12 record this season is the first winning season since 1997, when Ferrum went 13-12.