Jayden Gardner Named All-AAC

ECU forward Jayden Gardner has been selected to the second team All American Athletic Conference basketball squad on Tuesday by the team's head coaches.

Gardner, a unanimous all-freshman team pick last year was the conference's leading scorer at 19.7 points per game and was third in rebounding with 9.2 boards.

His 19.7 points per game average this season currently ranks as the third-highest in school history, while his 610 total points this season ranks as fifth all time after just two years. Gardner also finished second in the league in offensive rebounds per game (2.9), fourth in field goal percentage (.521) and fourth in minutes played per game (34.5).

The Wake Forest, N.C. native posted an AAC high 15 20-point games and had its second-most double-double performances with 13.

Earlier this season Gardner scored his 1,000th career point and grabbed his 500th career rebound on the road at Tulsa on Feb. 12.

Cincinnati's Jarron Cumberland and Trevon Scott, Memphis' Precious Achiwua, Tulsa's Martin Igbanu and UConn's Christian Vital were named first-team all-conference. Houston's Caleb Mills and Nate Hinton along with Temple's Quinton Rose and Wichita State's Jamie Echenique joined Gardner on the second-team.

SMU's trio of Kendric Davis, Tyson Jolly and Isaiah Mike earned third-team all-conference accolades along with UConn's James Bouknight and Tulsa's Brandon Rachal.

The league's coaches unanimously voted Achiwua, Bouknight and Mills onto the all-freshman team. Houston's Marcus Sasser and Memphis' Lester Quinones were also selected to the all-rookie squad.

The league will announce its individual awards on Wednesday, March 11.

East Carolina will begin play in The AAC tournament on Thursday, March 12, against Memphis. Tip-off is scheduled for 10 p.m. ET / 9 p.m. CT at Dickies Arena in Fort Worth, Texas on ESPNU.

(from Staff and ECU reports)