ROCK HILL, S.C. - Senior forward Miles Leathers has been selected to the preseason all-South Atlantic Conference second team after a standout junior campaign last season.
Leathers, a Charlotte native, was Brevard's third-leading scorer last season at 11.1 points per game and had the 11th-highest rebounding average in the conference at a team-high 6.2 boards per game. He was also fourth on the team with 50 assists despite missing eight games early in the season.
Leathers had arguably his most complete game of the season in Brevard's thrilling 107-104 win at Mars Hill in the penultimate game of the season. Leathers scored a season-high 21 points in the triple-overtime thriller and pulled down seven rebounds. He also dished out three assists and had four steals in the contest, helping raise his average to 2.0 thefts per game that was the second-highest mark in the SAC last season.
"The attention that Miles is getting is certainly well deserved," commented head coach Lee Burgess. "He's been a big contributor in the program since he got here as a freshman, and his reputation is certainly well-known throughout the league. His selection for second team is an indicator of the respect he has from the other coaches in the conference."
"It's such an honor to be named to the team," said Leathers. "There are a lot of great players in the league and it's great to be recognized as one of the better players in the conference. I look forward to working hard and hopefully proving everybody right this season."
Leathers is second in Brevard's NCAA era with 111 steals and is third in career rebounding. He also holds Brevard's fourth-highest career field goal percentage, draining 51.8 percent of his shots during his first three years in royal blue and white.
Brevard finished the season at 10-12 in conference play last season, good for eighth in a league defined by its parity apart from conference champion Lincoln Memorial. The Tornados were selected to finish 12th in the 2015-2016 preseason poll.
"I am sure that the other coaches in the league have looked at what we lost last year," Burgess added, "and feel like it will be hard for us to replace some key players. Our guys have been working very hard this preseason, and I am looking forward to getting out on the court and competing with this group."
The Tornados open their season with a pair of exhibition contests, including a showdown with the Auburn Tigers on the Plains this Friday at 8:00 p.m. Eastern. The regular season gets underway with a pair of neutral-site contests against Lander and Southern Wesleyan Nov. 13 and 14 in Jefferson City, Tennessee.
Preseason All-SAC First Team
Carson Brooks, Carson-Newman
Luquon Choice, Lincoln Memorial
Rob Lewis, Queens
Sean Morgan, Queens
Chase Mounce, Tusculum
Charles Clark, Carson-Newman
Preseason All-SAC Second Team
Jerrin Morrison, Catawba
Gerel Simmons, Lincoln Memorial
Donte Samuels, Coker
Miles Leathers, Brevard
Will Perry, Lenoir-Rhyne
Javon Price, Tusculum
Preseason South Atlantic Conference Poll
1. Lincoln Memorial - 128 (9 first-place votes)
2. Carson-Newman - 115 (2)
3. Queens - 113 (1)
4. Wingate - 97
T5. Newberry - 93
T5. Catawba - 93
7. Coker - 61
8. Anderson - 60
9. Lenoir-Rhyne - 57
10. Tusculum - 51
11. Mars Hill - 30
12. Brevard - 27
