JEFFERSON CITY, Tenn. – Carson-Newman's men's basketball program has placed four players on the College Sports Communicators Academic All-District team, the organization announced Tuesday afternoon. 

This marks the first time since 2019 that the men's basketball program has had an Academic All-District selection. That was when Mason Bates pulled in Academic All-District honors. 

Camden McElhaney (Sevierville, Tenn.), Nick Brenegan (Greenville, S.C.), John Zhao (Sevierville, Tenn.) and Monty Johal (Springfield, Mo.) were all recognized for their efforts in the classroom and on the hardwood. 

McElhaney logged his first career starts in his red-shirt sophomore season. A consummate glue guy, McElhaney has averaged 2.1 points per game on 65.5 percent shooting.  He averages 3.9 rebounds per game.  McElhaney had a career game at Catawba when he tallied a career-high 10 points and eight rebounds along with three steals.

Brenegan was injured for the early portions of the season, but has turned it on in the back off of his redshirt-sophomore campaign.  The Greenville, S.C.-native has scored in double-digits in a career-best five consecutive games going into the Eagles' Wednesday night contest with Emory & Henry.  He has averaged 7.1 points per game on 45.2 percent shooting from the field, 42.3 percent shooting from the three and 82.4 percent shooting from the stripe.  He had a career-best 23-point effort at Wingate on Feb. 18.

Zhao has continued his sharp-shooting ways from his freshman campaign, averaging 6.4 points per game while knocking down 37 threes this season. He is shooting 37 percent from deep. Zhao has a pair of 20-point games this season and six double-digit scoring efforts. He went off for 20 against Southern Wesleyan on the strength of four threes on Nov. 19 and a career-high 21 against Mars Hill on Dec. 14 behind 5-of-10 shooting from three. 

Finally, Johal has averaged 8.8 points per game on a 46.0/37.7/81.1 slash line.  He has scored in double-digits 10 times this season with a 17-point game against Lander on New Year's Eve.  Johal has sunk multiple threes in a game eight times this season, with a quartet of games where he buried at least three. 

All four are in action Wednesday night in Holt Fieldhouse against Emory & Henry at 7:30.