Southern men’s basketball earned a couple of national HBCU honors after having its first 20-win season in a decade.
Southern coach Kevin Johnson and guard Michael Jacobs received individual awards after the 17th HBCU Division I college basketball All-America teams presented by BOXTOROW were released on Monday.
Southern head coach Kevin Johnson waits for a call to be made in the first half of the game against Jackson State on Monday, February 3, 2025 at the F.G. Clark Activity Center in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. Southern defeated Jackson State 91-89 in overtime.
Johnson along with South Carolina State coach Erik Martin were named HBCU National Co-Coaches of the Year by BOXTOROW. Johnson is the first Southern coach to receive the honor since Roman Banks won it during the 2013-14 season.
Johnson, in his second season, led Southern to a 20-12 overall record and a 15-3 conference record, finishing first in the standings.
In his first season, the Jaguars went 18-14 overall and were third in the SWAC at 12-6. Southern's season ended Wednesday after it lost 65-62 to Grambling in the first round of the Southwestern Athletic Conference tournament.
Johnson was also the SWAC Coach of the Year.
Jacobs was named a second-team All-American on the HBCU Division I college basketball teams.
The junior, who also made the All-SWAC first team, averaged a team-high 11.3 points, 2.8 assists, 1.1 steals and shot 42% from the field. The 6-foot-2 guard from Atlanta, Georgia scored at least 20 points three times, including a career-high 27 points in a 66-65 loss to Alabama State on March 5.
Before coming to Baton Rouge, Jacobs played two seasons at Lawson State Community College in Alabama.
