ROCK HILL, S.C. --- Tusculum forward Keith Jumper has been named the South Atlantic Conference Men's Basketball Freshman of the Year announced league officials Wednesday.

Jumper, a 6-7, 220-pound rookie from Lexington, S.C., becomes the first player in program history to earn SAC Freshman of the Year honors since Tusculum began conference play in the 1999-2000 season.

The White Knoll High School graduate is second on the team in scoring, averaging 11.9 points per game (21st in SAC), while leading the Pioneers in rebounding (5.6 rpg/12th in SAC), field goal percentage (.519/9th in SAC) and blocked shots (0.7 bpg/17th in SAC).

Jumper has scored in double figures 15 times this year, including a season-high 22 points on three occasions, including Georgia Southwestern (Dec. 8), Anderson (Jan. 16) and Mars Hill (Jan. 19). He also recorded a pair of double-doubles in his inaugural TC season, including his 20 points and 11 rebounds against Carson-Newman (Jan. 9) and 22 markers and 13 boards versus Mars Hill.

His 160 free throw attempts this year are the eighth most in school history and the most ever by a Tusculum freshman.

Joining Jumper on the SAC All-Freshman Team are Elon Edwards (Catawba), Manzey Miller (Brevard), Mitch Riggs (Newberry) and Tim Pierce (Lincoln Memorial).

The South Atlantic Conference Basketball Awards are selected by the league's 10 head coaches.

The Pioneers (6-20) are the No. 8 seed in this year's Food Lion SAC Tournament and will travel to top-seed and 11th-ranked Lincoln Memorial (22-4) Wednesday night at 7 p.m. in a quarterfinal round match-up. The winner of that game will advance to Saturday's 5:30 p.m. semifinal, which will be held at Timmons Arena in Greenville, S.C.

- SAC -

2012-13 South Atlantic Conference Men's Basketball Awards
All-SAC First Team
Chandler Hash, Anderson
Antoine Davis, Carson-Newman
Ishmael Sanders, Carson-Newman
Denzel Dillingham, Lenoir-Rhyne
Vincent Bailey, Lincoln Memorial
Jake Troyli, Lincoln Memorial

All-SAC Second Team
Denzail Jones, Anderson
Tyrece Little, Catawba
Lorenza Ross, Lincoln Memorial
Dondray Walker, Newberry
Paidrick Matilus, Wingate
Odell Turner, Wingate

SAC All-Freshman Team
Manzey Miller, Brevard
Elon Edwards, Catawba
Tim Pierce, Lincoln Memorial
Mitch Riggs, Newberry
Keith Jumper, Tusculum

SAC Player of the Year: Antoine Davis, Carson-Newman
SAC Freshman of the Year: Keith Jumper, Tusculum
SAC Coach of the Year: Chuck Benson, Carson-Newman
SAC Scholar-Athlete of the Year: Chandler Hash, Anderson