VIDEO: Chuck Benson Interview
VIDEO: Ren Dyer Interview
ROCK HILL, S.C. – Carson-Newman head men's basketball coach Chuck Benson has been named the South Atlantic Conference Coach of the Year, while Ren Dyer (Weaverville, N.C.) became the first Eagle to earn Freshman of the Year honors, the league office announced Wednesday morning.
Additionally, Tripp Davis (Nashville, Tenn.) and Luke Brenegan (Greenville, S.C.) were tabbed with All-SAC honorable mention honors.
For Benson, it goes down as his second Coach of the Year accolade. Benson was first recognized in the 2012-13 season.
Carson-Newman was coming off a 10-18 season a year ago and was picked ninth in the league's preseason poll. C-N has exceeded expectations, earning a three seed for the league tournament. Additionally, Carson-Newman has exceeded its win total by four games in spite of playing eight fewer games.
With a 14-5 record this year, the Eagles' .736 win percentage is the second-best of Benson's career behind an NCAA tournament run and a .742 win percentage in 2017-18. The mark is just ahead of a 25-9 Sweet Sixteen year in 2001-02 while he was at Martin Methodist.
"Getting this honor means a lot because it's coming from your peers in the other coaches in this league," Benson said. "I have so much respect for them, to be that guy this year means so much to me because of what I think about my peers.
"The truth of the matter is, and this is the truth. It's not so much a coach of the year award, but it's more about your staff and the team. I happen to be the name attached to it. But the reality is KT Carter, Parker Role', Trey Ford and Dave Gorman – this is as much theirs as it is mine. The players – we have willing players. If they were unwilling, we wouldn't be having this conversation."
Meanwhile, Dyer becomes the first Eagle to earn freshman of the year honors. Not even Ish Sanders (Keon Moore from Catawba won in 2011) nor Charles Clark (Jerrin Morrison from Catawba won in 2015) earned the honor.
"To go out there and play besides these boys and make it fun, it's an honor," Dyer said. "They make fun and easy to lay it all on the line."
Dyer has done things no other freshman has done in Carson-Newman history. Dyer became the first Eagle freshman with seven straight double-digit scoring efforts and the only freshman with three double-doubles in his first season at Mossy Creek.
Dyer is averaging 11.1 points per game with 7.1 boards per game. He's third on the team in assists with 46, second in blocks with 18 and second in steals with 23.
DO. NOT. JUMP. ON. @Rendyer2000!
— Carson-Newman Athletics (@CNathletics) March 2, 2021
Another block that the freshman makes look routine.
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"It's really not arguable," Benson said. "The way he plays, every coach in this conference has respect for the way he goes about business. He's tough, physical, consistent and competitive. He's about the team. To have the kind of career he had in high school, to come in and be so instrumental as a freshman. To have him voiced in those kind of circles is a testament to the mark he's making. I love coaching that guy."
The Weaverville, N.C.-native led all freshmen in the league in scoring and rebounding. He was second among all first-year players in the conference in blocks and steals.
Dyer became the first Carson-Newman freshman to score in double digits in seven consecutive games, doing so from Dec. 2, 2020 - Jan. 23, 2021. His teak came to a close at Lincoln Memorial when he had six in 29 foul-plagued minutes against the 'Splitters. Dyer is just the third freshman to score in double digits in five straight games - joining Ish Sanders (six) and Charles Clark (five).
Dyer produced a 10-point, 12-rebound double-double on Jan. 16 against Lenoir-Rhyne and followed it up with 11 points and 10 rebounds on Jan. 20 against Bluefield State. He is the first freshman in the Division II era to produce double-doubles in back-to-back games and the second freshman in the last 21 years with two double-doubles in a season. The double-double against Lenoir-Rhyne is also the quickest a freshman has attained a double-double with Dyer doing it in his seventh career game. He added his third double-double against Anderson on Feb. 3.
The North Buncombe product has shown a remarkable level of consistency all season long.
His 11-point season-opening debut is the first double-digit debut by a freshman since Cam Andre's 10-point debut as a freshman against Lander in an 82-78 win on Nov. 10, 2017. Dyer missed out on becoming the first freshman this century to score double-digits in the first two games of his career by a point. He had nine at Wingate.
Dyer scored in double-digits in four of his first five games, the only freshman in the last 20 years to accomplish that. In fact, he is Carson-Newman's highest scoring freshman through five games since 2020 - one of five to average at least eight points per game through their first five contests
On Jan. 19, Ren Dyer was lauded with the TSWA's State Player of the Week award. Dyer becomes the first Eagle to earn a player of the week honor since Grant Teichmann picked up a TSWA player of the week honor on Jan. 15, 2019. Dyer is the first freshman to win a weekly honor for C-N since Charles Clark on Feb. 9, 2015. He helped C-N to a 1-1 record with a 19-point stomping of Lenoir-Rhyne and a narrow one-point loss to No. 12 Queens. He averaged 14.0 points and 10.5 rebounds for the pair of contests.
Dyer's career high came on Feb. 10 at UVA Wise when he dropped 21 on 7-of-12 shooting from three.
Finally, Tripp Davis and Luke Brenegan earn All-SAC honors for the first time in their careers.
"I'm not surprised that Tripp and Luke are being recognized," Benson said. "However, with the balance and selflessness we had this year, this isn't a one or two person show. Both have had fine seasons, but I'd think they'd say the same that we are a team and the people that have been a part of that will understand the significance of that statement."
Davis has re-wrote the record book in his senior season. He entered rarefied air on Feb. 15 when he dropped 44 on Benedict. He tied Chris Jones and Mike Ogan for the third most points in a single game in school history. Davis scored 19 in the first half before tallying 25 after halftime. He was clutch in the final five minutes, going 8-for-8 at the charity stripe. He scored 15 points in the final 9:15 of the contest. He knocked down the second most free throws in a game that day when he went 18-of-19 from the charity stripe.
He earned SAC and TSWA for that week and TSWA Player of the Week honors for the week of Jan. 25 as well.
Are you serious, @_tripp10?? ��
— Carson-Newman Athletics (@CNathletics) February 17, 2021
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Davis is averaging a team-best 13.5 points per game while shooting 54.2 percent from the field and 41 percent from three. He has knocked down 73-of-86 free throws to lead the Eagles at the charity stripe.
Against Mars Hill on Feb. 18, Davis joined former All-American Kyle Gribble as the only C-N players with seven steals in a game. A noted thief, Davis' 47 steals rank third nationally and tops in the SAC.
Davis has led C-N in steals for 10 straight games. He has been Carson-Newman's scoring leader on five occasions with four, 20-point efforts this year. He also has 11 double-digit scoring efforts. Davis has nine games this year with at least three steals.
Brenegan has been a three-point marksman this year for C-N. His 2.5 threes made per game are tied for the third-most in the SAC while his 43.5 percent effort from long range is the league's ninth best figure and fifth-best among players who can multiple triples a game. His three-point efficiency ranks him 10th all-time for a single season at Carson-Newman
A SAC and TSWA Player of the Week for Feb. 8 after helping C-N to a 3-0 record that week, he became the first Eagle lauded by the league with a player of the week honor in a little under three years. Grant Teichmann was recognized in the first week of the 2018-19 season. He also earned TSWA Player of the Week honors for his performances - making him, Tripp Davis and Ren Dyer the first trio of Eagles all to be lauded by the TSWA in the same season.
Brenegan averaged 17 points per game for the week on a slash line of 59.3 percent shooting from the field, 60 percent shooting from beyond the arc and a perfect 100 percent effort from the free throw line.
✅ Bury 12-20 threes.
— Carson-Newman Athletics (@CNathletics) February 8, 2021
✅ Lead @CN_Hoops to a 3-0 week
✅ Lock up @SAC_Athletics Player of the Week
Party on @BreneganLuke
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For the season he is averaging 11.5 points per game with 63 assists and 2.5 boards per game.
He reset his career high for scoring against Catawba on Feb. 6 when he went for 22 points on 4-of-6 shooting from long range. That contest was one of 10 this year for Brenegan scoring double digits.
The Greenville, S.C.-native has handed out five or more assists on five occasions, and has led C-N in dimes dropped nine times. He reset his career high for assists with eight against Mars Hill on Feb. 17.
Dyer, Brenegan and Davis will all be in action Thursday at 7:30 p.m. in the SAC tournament semifinals at Tusculum. Coverage of the contest on the Eagle Sports Network starts at 7:15 with the AEC Countdown to Tipoff on The Mountain 106.3 (WPFT-FM, Sevierville) and online at cneagles.com/live.
