AUGUSTA, Ga. -- Augusta State’s Tyrekus “AJ” Bowman has been named the State of Georgia’s Men’s College Player of the Year.

The Atlanta Tipoff Club announced their recipients of this year’s Georgia Basketball Awards on Tuesday, March 27. The awards are given to the top men’s and women’s college basketball players and coaches in the state, as well as contributors to the game of basketball. Chosen by the Atlanta Tipoff Club’s Georgia Selection Committee, the winners will be honored at the annual Naismith Awards Banquet on Thursday, April 5 at the Georgia World Congress Center.

“Each one of these winners had the same common denominator and that’s improving the quality and tradition of the game of basketball,” said Gary Stokan, Atlanta Tipoff Club president. “They have all had exceptional seasons and careers, and should be proud of what they’ve accomplished.”

A junior forward from Tignall, Ga., Bowman led ASU to the second-winningest season in school history and was named the Peach Belt Conference Player of the Year after leading the league in scoring at 20.4 ppg. during the regular season. He led the Jaguars to a 24-8 overall record and the PBC regular-season championship while propelling the Jags to a top seed in the NCAA South Atlantic Regional, the third NCAA Tournament appearance in school history. Bowman was an All-South Atlantic Region first-team selection-- the only player from the PBC selected to the squad – and a candidate for All-America honors.

In addition, Bowman ranked in the top 10 in seven PBC statistical categories, including scoring, rebounding, blocked shots and field goal percentage. He eclipsed the 1,000-point milestone with 29 points at Columbus State on Feb. 14 and poured in a career-high 33 points vs. Cheyney on Dec. 9, 2006. He scored in double figures in 30 of 31 games, produced 18 games with 20 or more points and posted six double-doubles.

Other award winners included Georgia’s Tasha Humphrey as Women’s College Player of the Year, Georgia Tech’s MaChelle Joseph as the Whack Hyder Women’s College Coach of the Year and Clayton State’s Gordon Gibbons as Whack Hyder Men’s College Coach of the Year. The Atlanta Tipoff Club’s own Jackie Bradford and Bob Chambers were chosen as the recipients of the Steve Schmidt Outstanding Contribution to Georgia Basketball award winners.

The Atlanta Tipoff Club, an Atlanta Sports Council property, is committed to promoting the game of basketball and recognizing the outstanding accomplishments of those who make the game so exciting. The Atlanta Tipoff Club has presented the Naismith Trophy since UCLA’s Lew Alcindor first won the award in 1969.

The Naismith Awards program has become an emblem of excellence for the game, recognizing the Men’s and Women’s College Player of the Year, Men’s and Women’s Coach of the Year, as well as awards for outstanding achievement in high school basketball, officiating, and overall contribution to the game.