Troy’s Tayton Conerway named Sun Belt Player of the Year in men’s basketball

Troy guard Tayton Conerway is the Sun Belt Conference Player of the Year, the league office announced Monday.

Conerway, a 6-foot-3 senior from Burleson, Texas, leads the Sun Belt in steals per game (3.0) and ranks third in assists (5.1 per game) while also averaging a team-best 13.7 points and 4.3 rebounds (tied for second on the team). He is the first Trojan named Sun Belt Player of the Year, and first conference player of the year since Greg Davis in 2004, when Troy was a member of the Atlantic Sun.

“Tayton is extremely deserving of this honor,” Troy coach Scott Cross said. “He is an absolute stat sheet stuffer with points, rebounds, assists and steals, while shooting high percentages across the board. He is a matchup nightmare for opposing defenses and I am glad that he is on our side this week as we travel down to Pensacola, because I would have an extremely difficult time trying to figure out how to defend him.”

Conerway is also a first-team All-Sun Belt pick, joined by South Alabama’s Barry Dunning, James Madison’s Mark Freeman, Arkansas State’s Taryn Todd and Appalachian State’s Myles Tate. Freeman, a Morehead State transfer, was also selected as Sun Belt Newcomer of the Year.

James Madison’s Bryce Lindsay was named both Sixth Man and Freshman of the Year. Other individual award-winners were Marshall’s Obinna Anochili-Killen (Defensive Player of the Year) and South Alabama’s Richie Riley (Joe Gottfried Coach of the Year).

Conerway helped Troy finish the regular season at 20-10 overall and 13-5 in Sun Belt play, part of a four-way tie for first with South Alabama, Arkansas State and James Madison. The Trojans are the No. 3 seed for the Sun Belt tournament, which begins Tuesday in Pensacola, Fla.

Troy gets a bye all the way to the Sun Belt quarterfinals and play its first tournament game at 7:30 p.m. Saturday against a to-be-determined opponent.

The full list of 2024-25 Sun Belt Conference postseason men’s basketball awards and all-conference teams:

Individual awards

Player of the Year: Tayton Conerway, Troy

Defensive Player of the Year: Obinna Anochili-Killen, Marshall

Sixth Man of the Year: Bryce Lindsay, James Madison

Newcomer of the Year: Mark Freeman, James Madison

Freshman of the Year: Bryce Lindsay, James Madison

Coach of the Year: Richie Riley, South Alabama

First-team All-Sun Belt

Tayton Conerway, Troy

Barry Dunning, South Alabama

Mark Freeman, James Madison

Myles Tate, Appalachian State

Taryn Todd, Arkansas State

Second-team All-Sun Belt

Obinna Anochili-Killen, Marshall

Cesare Edwards, Georgia State

Denijay Harris, Southern Miss

C.J. Huntley, Appalachian State

Tylan Pope, Texas State

Third-team All-Sun Belt

Myles Corey, South Alabama

Sean Durugordon, Old Dominion

Adante’ Holiman, Georgia Southern

Bryce Lindsay, James Madison

Izaiyah Nelson, Arkansas State