FORT MYERS, Fla. – Highlighting the league's postseason awards announcement today, FGCU's Tavian Dunn-Martin was named the ASUN Men's Basketball Newcomer of the Year, while Kevin Samuel was selected as the Defensive Player of the Year. The duo were also named to the All-ASUN First Team and Second Team, respectively.
 
Dunn-Martin becomes the first FGCU player to be named Newcomer of the Year since Brandon Goodwin in 2016-17. Samuel also became the first Eagle to be named the Defensive Player of the Year since Demetris Morant did so in 2016-17 as well.
 
Having the pair each named to All-ASUN teams is the first time since 2017-18 where FGCU had multiple players earn postseason honors when Goodwin and Zach Johnson were both named to the All-ASUN First Team.

"Both Tavian and Kevin have had really special seasons this year," said head coach Michael Fly. "We knew they would be impact players in the league and to see them realize the amount of success they've had this season is terrific. Now we are focused on making a run in the postseason which was something really important to both of them in terms of how they wanted to finish out their college careers."
 
Tavian Dunn-Martin – ASUN Newcomer of the Year – All-ASUN First Team
Member of the Lou Henson Player of the Year Award Watch List ... Top scorer and assist leader for FGCU ... Second-leading scorer in the conference, 11th overall nationally ... One of just 80 NCAA players since 1992-93 to have over 600 points and 180 assists in a single-season ... Has helped FGCU post 20 wins for first time since 2017-18 - a total which is +10 compared to both 2021 and 2020 seasons; 10 ASUN wins also the most since 2017-18 ... Leads the ASUN and ranks fifth nationally in total assists and assists per game ... The only ASUN player over the last decade to have 7 30-point games in a single season ... Set the FGCU single-game scoring record with 43 points in first-ever win over Liberty which came on the road ... Had previously set the school record with 38 points in a win over Stetson ... His 602 points this season rank 10th nationally ... Ranks 3rd in ASUN and 14th nationally for total three pointers ... Had five double-doubles this year between points and assists ... Six total games with 10+ assists with two 13-assist performances (Southeastern Louisiana, Kennesaw State) ... FGCU was 14-6 when Dunn-Martin scored 15-or-more points in a game (6-4 when under 15 points) ... Eagles were 12-3 on the year when he had 6-or-more assists in a game ... His 602 points are the third-most for a single-season in FGCU history - just behind 2018 ASUN Player of the Year Brandon Goodwin who had two 600-pt seasons ... His 20.8 scoring average is currently the program record, while his 6.6 assists per game are third most for a year (tied with Brett Comer during the Sweet 16 2012-13 season).
 
Kevin Samuel – ASUN Defensive Player of the Year – All-ASUN Second Team
ASUN Preseason Defensive Player of the Year ... Second-leading scorer and top defensive player for FGCU ... One of just three active NCAA players to have 1,000 career points and 1,000 career rebounds - on pace to become the only active player to have each of those along with 300 career blocks (297) ... Leads the ASUN in blocked shots per game, rebounds per game, total blocks, total rebounds, double-doubles, and field goal percentage ... Nationally, ranks 5th in total blocked shots and field goal percentage, 6th in blocked shots per game, 10th in total rebounds, 16th in rebounds per game, and 16th in double-doubles ... His 91 blocks are a single-season FGCU record as is his 3.14 blocks per game ... His 9.8 rebounds per game is also a single-season program record while his 285 total rebounds are currently the second-most for a single-season ... The 91 blocked shots also rank as the 3rd most for a career in FGCU history ... His 91 blocked shots are also the 4th-most for a single-season in ASUN history ... Has more blocked shots (91) than missed field goals (88) ... Has helped FGCU post 20 wins for first time since 2017-18 - a total which is +10 compared to both 2021 and 2020 seasons; 10 ASUN wins also the most since 2017-18.
 
2021-22 ASUN Conference Men's Basketball Postseason Honors & Awards
Player of the Year: Darius McGhee, Liberty
Defensive Player of the Year: Kevin Samuel, FGCU
Newcomer of the Year: Tavian Dunn-Martin, FGCU
Freshman of the Year: Camren Hunter, Central Arkansas
Coach of the Year: Ray Harper, Jacksonville State ASUN
 
ASUN First Team All-Conference

Pos.	Name	School	Cl.	Hometown	Academic Major
G	*Darius McGhee#	Liberty	Sr.	Roxboro, N.C.	Interdisciplinary Studies
G	*Darian Adams	Jacksonville State	Sr.	Montgomery, Ala.	Human Services
G	Tavian Dunn-Martin	FGCU	Gr.	Huntington, W.Va.	Integrated Marketing
G	Kevion Nolan	Jacksonville	Jr.	Anniston, Ala.	Social Sciences
C	Ahsan Asadullah^	Lipscomb	Sr.	Atlanta, Ga.	Marketing

 
ASUN Second Team All-Conference

Pos.	Name	School	Cl.	Hometown	Academic Major
G	Dylan Penn#	Bellarmine	Sr.	Evansville, Ind.	History
G	CJ Fleming	Bellarmine	Sr.	Cincinnati, Ohio	Education
C	Kevin Samuel	FGCU	Gr.	Codrington Village, Barbuda	Sociology
F	Kyle Rode	Liberty	Jr.	Lexington, Ky.	Information Systems
G	Chase Johnston	Stetson	So.	Boca Raton, Fla.	Communications

 
ASUN All-Freshmen Team

Pos.	Name	School	Hometown	Academic Major
G	*Camren Hunter	Central Arkansas	Bryant, Ark.	Undeclared
G	*Daniel Ortiz	North Alabama	Shreveport, La.	Undeclared
F	Curt Hopf	Bellarmine	Montgomery, Ind.	Business Administration
G	Trae Benham	Lipscomb	Concord, N.C.	Undeclared
F	Alvin Tumblin	Stetson	Sebring, Fla.	Undeclared

 
* - Denotes unanimous selection
# - Denotes a two-time selection to the All-Conference Team
^ - Denotes a three-time selection to the All-Conference Team
 
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COACH FLY
Michael Fly was introduced as the fourth FGCU men's basketball head coach on April 5, 2018. He had spent the previous seven years as an assistant coach on the Eagles' staff. In his time with the Eagles, he has helped FGCU to a 208-142 record (.585 winning percentage), including six ASUN Tournament Final appearances, three NCAA Tournament victories, three ASUN Tournament titles and three ASUN Regular Season Championships, two berths in the NIT, a CIT appearance and a run to the Sweet 16. He has coached 13 all-conference selections while with the Green and Blue, including two ASUN Player of the Year honors in Sherwood Brown and Brandon Goodwin, two ASUN Defensive Player of the Year selections in Bernard Thompson and Demetris Morant and one ASUN Newcomer of the Year in Schadrac Casimir. Of the top-10 players in career points at FGCU, Fly has helped develop eight of them, including all-time leading scorer Thompson (1,835). Additionally, the Kentucky alumnus has coached both the ASUN all-time assists leader Brett Comer (845; 24th in NCAA history) and FGCU all-time leading rebounder Chase Fieler (714).
 
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ABOUT FGCU
FGCU teams have combined to win an incredible 89 conference regular season and tournament titles in just 14+ seasons at the Division I level. Additionally, in just 10 seasons of D-I postseason eligibility, the Eagles have had a combined 43 teams or individuals compete in NCAA championships. Eight FGCU programs have earned a top-25 national ranking in their respective sport - including women's basketball (No. 20, 2021-22), beach volleyball (No. 20, 2022) and both men's soccer (2018, 2019) and women's soccer (2018) as three of the most recent. In 2016-17, the Green and Blue posted a department-best sixth-place finish in the DI-AAA Learfield Directors' Cup and top-100 showing nationally, ahead of several Power-5 and FBS institutions. In 2018-19, the Eagles had an ASUN and state of Florida best seven teams earn the NCAA's Public Recognition Award for their Academic Progress Rate in their sport. FGCU also collectively earned a record 3.50 GPA in the classroom in the fall 2020 semester and has outperformed the general University undergraduate population for 25 consecutive semesters. The past five semesters (Fall 2019 – Fall 2021) each saw another milestone reached as all 15 programs achieved a 3.0-or-higher team GPA in each. The Eagles also served an all-time high 7,200 volunteer hours in 2017 - being recognized as one of two runners-up for the inaugural NACDA Community Service Award presented by the Fiesta Bowl.
 
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