FMU's Jonah Pierce Tabbed Freshman Of The Year

Francis Marion University center Jonah Pierce has been named the Conference Carolinas Men's Basketball Freshman of the Year for 2021-22, as the league announced its post-season honors on Wednesday (March 2).

Pierce, a 6-foot-8, 210-pound native of Sanford, Fla., averaged 13.0 points and 8.1 rebounds per contest this season. He appeared in all 28 games and made 24 starts. He connected on 61.7 percent of his field goal attempts and recorded 34 blocks, 31 assists, and 20 steals.

He posted 10 double-doubles, was named the conference Defensive Player of the Week twice, and was selected as the conference Freshman of the Month three times.

He ranks third in the conference in field goal accuracy, fourth in rebounding, seventh in blocks per game, and 23rd in scoring.

He helped lead Francis Marion to a 13-15 record and to the second round of the recent conference tournament, despite the Patriots fielding a roster that included six freshmen and five sophomores among its 15 members. Pierce, a product of Seminole High School, is a nursing major.