BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – Samford basketball player Tim Williams was named the Southern Conference's Freshman of the Year Tuesday as the Bulldogs' talented forward from Chicago, Ill., swept the honor in both the coaches and media polls. Samford's Raijon Kelly also earned prestigious All-SoCon accolades, while Clide Geffrard, Jr., joined Williams on the conference's all-freshman team.
 
Williams, the Bulldogs' 6-foot-8 true freshman, led all SoCon newcomers in both scoring (14.2 ppg) and rebounding (7.2 rpg) this season. He also ranks third amongst all players in field-goal percentage (.541), fifth in blocked shots (1.1 bpg) and sixth in steals (1.4 spg).  Williams averaged 35.2 minutes per game, the third-highest average among all SoCon performers in 2013.
 
With Tuesday's honor, Williams became the first Bulldog in school history to be named the SoCon Freshman of the Year. In the 2013 Sports Media Association poll, he also garnered Third-Team All-SoCon honors, in addition to being named the league's freshman of the year.
 
Samford's standout sophomore, Raijon Kelly, received All-SoCon accolades Tuesday in both the coaches and media polls. The Bulldogs' explosive 6-foot-4 floor general was named to the 10-player All-SoCon Team by the coaches, as well as to the All-SoCon Second Team by the league's media members.
 
Kelly, Samford's talented native of St. Paul, Minn., is ranked 10^th in the conference in scoring at 14.5 points per game and second in the SoCon with 4.7 assists per outing.
 
On Feb. 28, Kelly handed out a pair of assists at Appalachian State to set Samford's all-time single-season assist record. Kelly surpassed former Bulldog-great Ervin Terry's previous record-high of 140 assits, which was achieved in 1977-78. He currently holds the single-season mark with 146.

 
Samford's Williams was joined on the SoCon All-Freshman Team by teammate Clide Geffrard, Jr. The Bulldogs' combination marked the second season in a row that Samford has placed a pair on the all-freshman team as Kelly and Tyler Hood earned the accolade last season.
 
Geffrard, Jr., the Bulldogs' high-flying true freshman from Pompano Beach, Fla., earned SoCon All-Freshman Team honors this season by averaging 11.1 points and 4.4 rebounds per game this season. He is also ranked third in the conference with a sizzling 42.5-percent shooting mark from 3-point range.
 
Davidson senior Jake Cohen was named the 2013 SoCon Player of the Year, while the Wildcats' head coach Bob McKillop was named the league's Coach of the Year for the second consecutive season. 
 
Cohen, who was the Malcolm U. Pitt Player of the Year as selected by the media in 2012, becomes the fourth Wildcat to be chosen as the Player of the Year by the coaches, joining teammate De'Mon Brooks (2012), Stephen Curry (2009) and Brendan Winters (2005). 
 
A native of Berwyn, Pa., Cohen ranks sixth in the conference with 14.9 points per game and is 15th in rebounding (5.7 rpg).  The senior is second in the conference in blocked shots (1.7 bpg) and ranks eighth in field goal percentage (.495).
 
McKillop was named the Coach of the Year by his peers for the eighth time. Davidson finished 17-1 in league play and captured a division championship for the 12th time. The Wildcats earned the top seed in the upcoming SoCon Tournament and finished the regular season on a 14-game winning streak. 
 
Cohen was joined on the all-conference team by his teammate Brooks. Elon also had a pair earn all-conference accolades as Jack Isenbarger and Lucas Troutman were selected to the all-conference team.  Nathan Healy (Appalachian State), Andrew Lawrence (College of Charleston), Mike Groselle (The Citadel), Trevis Simpson (UNCG), Kelly (Samford) and Trey Sumler (Western Carolina) were all named to the 10-person team.
 
The SoCon Sports Media Association also released its 2013 all-conference teams and postseason awards Tuesday.
 
In balloting that mirrored the coaches' selections, Davidson's Cohen was named the Malcolm U. Pitt Player of the Year. It is the second consecutive season Cohen has earned the award from the league's media. Elon head coach Matt Matheny was named the league's Anton Foy Coach of the Year, while Williams was named the Freshman of the Year.
 
Cohen becomes just the 14th player in league history to earn the Malcolm U. Pitt Player of the Year award from the media in back-to-back seasons. The last player to earn the award consecutive years was Davidson's Curry (2008-09).
 
Matheny guided the Phoenix to 20-10 record during the regular season, including a 13-5 mark in conference play. Elon won the North Division for the first time since 2006 and has increased its win total in each of Matheny's four seasons at the helm. The 13 conference wins in 2013 are the most for Elon since joining the league in 2004.
 
The league's media association also selected three all-conference teams. Cohen earned first-team honors for the second consecutive season, as did teammate Brooks. They were joined on the first team by Elon's Troutman, UNCG's Simpson and Western Carolina's Sumler.
 
Appalachian State's Healy, The Citadel's Groselle, College of Charleston's Lawrence, Samford's Kelly and Wofford's Karl Cochran all garnered second-team honors.
 
The all-conference third team was comprised of Davidson's Nik Cochran, Elon's Isenbarger, Georgia Southern's Eric Ferguson, Samford's Williams and Chattanooga's Z. Mason.
 
The media matched the coaches in selecting the all-freshmen team. The Citadel's Matt Van Scyoc, Samford's Geffrard Jr., and Williams, Chattanooga's McGhee and Wofford's Collins made up both all-freshman squads.
 
The 2013 SoCon Men's Basketball Tournament will begin Friday at the U.S. Cellular Center in Asheville, N.C. The championship game is scheduled for Monday at 6 p.m. (CST) and will be broadcast live on ESPN2.
 
Samford will begin play in the SoCon Tournament Friday at 1 p.m., as the Bulldogs open the four-day, 12-team tournament against the Furman Paladins.
 
2013 SoCon Men's Basketball Awards
 
All-Conference Team
Nathan Healy, Appalachian State
Andrew Lawrence, College of Charleston
Mike Groselle, The Citadel
De'Mon Brooks, Davidson
Jake Cohen, Davidson
Jack Isenbarger, Elon
Lucas Troutman, Elon
Trevis Simpson, UNCG
Raijon Kelly, Samford
Trey Sumler, Western Carolina
 
All-Freshman Team
Matt Van Scyoc, The Citadel
Clide Geffrard, Jr., Samford
Tim Williams, Samford
Gee McGhee, Chattanooga
Spencer Collins, Wofford
 
Player of the Year
Jake Cohen, Sr., F, Davidson
 
Defensive Player of the Year
Nathan Healy, Sr., F, Appalachian State
 
Freshman of the Year
Tim Williams, F, Samford
 
Coach of the Year
Bob McKillop, Davidson
 
2013 Men's SoCon Sports Media Association Awards
 
All-Conference First Team
De'Mon Brooks, Davidson
Jake Cohen, Davidson
Lucas Troutman, Elon
Trevis Simpson, UNCG
Trey Sumler, Western Carolina

All-Conference Second Team
Nathan Healy, Appalachian State
Mike Groselle, The Citadel
Andrew Lawrence, College of Charleston
Raijon Kelly, Samford
Karl Cochran, Wofford
 
All-Conference Third Team
Nik Cochran, Davidson
Jack Isenbarger, Elon
Eric Ferguson, Georgia Southern
Tim Williams, Samford
Z. Mason, Chattanooga
 
All-Freshman Team
Matt Van Scyoc, The Citadel
Clide Geffrard Jr., Samford
Tim Williams, Samford
Gee McGhee, Chattanooga
Spencer Collins, Wofford
 
Malcolm U. Pitt Player of the Year
Jake Cohen, Sr., F, Davidson
 
Freshman of the Year
Tim Williams, F, Samford
 
Anton Foy Coach of the Year
Matt Matheny, Elon