AUGUSTA, Ga. -- Augusta State senior forward Tyrekus “AJ” Bowman has been named the Peach Belt Conference’s Player Of The Year for the second consecutive season. The conference office released the major award winners Tuesday afternoon on the eve of the PBC Tournament in Aiken, S.C.

For the first time in 17 years, the PBC named co-Players of the Year as Bowman shared top honors with USC Aiken junior Chris Commons. Francis Marion’s Simel Boyd was named the Freshman of the Year while USCA’s Vince Alexander the Coach of the Year.

A first-team All-American as a junior, Bowman is the fourth player in PBC history to repeat as Player of the Year. The senior from Tignall, Ga., was third in the PBC in scoring with 18.9 ppg., and second in rebounding with 7.5 per game. He was also fifth in the league in blocked shots, scored 20 or more points 13 times and was a two-time Player Of The Week selection.

Currently, Bowman is third all-time on the ASU career scoring list with 1,664 points and fourth in the PBC in career scoring and ninth in the league all-time in blocks with 126. Named all-conference for the third consecutive season, Bowman is the first repeat Player Of The Year since Kennesaw State’s Terrence Hill in 2003 and 2004.

ASU junior Garret Siler, who leads the nation in field goal percentage at .759 and ranks 12th in the nation in blocks (2.6 bpg.) joined teammate and sophomore Ben Madgen as all-conference performers for the second straight season. Madgen averaged 16.2 ppg., seventh-best in the league, and shot 40.3 percent from 3-point range. Siler posted a PBC-leading nine double-doubles while Madgen ranked in the top 20 in six different categories.

USC Aiken’s Chris Commons burst onto the scene to lead the PBC in scoring in 2007-08 with 22.1 points per game. The junior forward from Toledo, Ohio, is also seventh in rebounding with 6.3 per game. Commons, a five-time PBC player of the week, has led the Pacers to a #5 national ranking and the 2007-08 PBC regular-season championship.

Francis Marion’s Boyd started the final 11 games for the Francis Marion Patriots and averaged 10.1 ppg on 50 percent shooting from the floor in that span.

USC Aiken’s Alexander led the Pacers from nine wins last season to a 25-2 record this year and their first PBC regular-season championship since the 1992-93 season.

Below is the 2007-08 PBC men’s basketball All-Conference team as selected by the league’s head coaches. The team was originally to have 11 members, but has 12 due to a tie in the final spot. Coaches were not allowed to vote for their own players.

The last PBC co-Players of the Year were USC Upstate’s Ulysses Hackett and Willie Murdaugh in 1990-91, the PBC’s first season of basketball.

The PBC Tournament begins Wednesday, March 5 at the new USCA Convocation Center, in Aiken, S.C.

2008 Peach Belt Conference 
All-Conference Team

TYREKUS “AJ” BOWMAN, AUGUSTA STATE
Aaron Clark, GCSU
Chris Commons, USC Aiken
Jeremy Fears, USC Aiken
William Kane, Armstrong Atlantic State
Shaun Keaton, GCSU
BEN MADGEN, AUGUSTA STATE
Andre Morgan, North Georgia
Nick Pope, North Georgia
Anthony Sargent, Georgia Southwestern State
GARRET SILER, AUGUSTA STATE
Michael Sloan, Clayton State
 

PLAYER OF THE YEAR
TYREKUS “AJ” BOWMAN, AUGUSTA STATE
and Chris Commons, USC Aiken

FRESHMAN OF THE YEAR 
Simel Boyd, Francis Marion

COACH OF THE YEAR 
Vince Alexander