FOREST, Va. --- Randolph-Macon College earned three all-conference selections plus a trio of special individual honors to highlight the 2021-22 All-ODAC Men's Basketball Awards.

Yellow Jackets guard Buzz Anthony in the first four-time player of the year in ODAC basketball history, regardless of gender. He claimed his fourth straight Kurt Axe Memorial Player of the Year award, while R-MC mentor Josh Merkel collected his fifth consecutive Bob Johnson Coach of the Year prize from his peers. Randolph-Macon forward Miles Mallory was tabbed the ODAC Defensive Player of the Year. Bridgewater College guard Shod Smith garnered ODAC Rookie of the Year laurels, while Roanoke College guard/forward Kasey Draper received ODAC/Virginia Farm Bureau Insurance Scholar-Athlete of the Year award from the league's athletic communications personnel.

ODAC fans will be very familiar with this year's all-conference teams as half of the 18 standouts are being recognized for at least the second straight season. That includes all six members of this season's All-ODAC First Team in Guilford College forward Liam Ward, Univeresity of Lynchburg forward T.C. Thacker, R-MC's Anthony and Mallory, RC's Draper, and Virginia Wesleyan forward Tim Fisher.

Eastern Mennonite point guard Tim Jones is an All-ODAC Second Team choice after earn all-league honors last year. Lynchburg guard Tharon Suggs and Roanoke guard Efosa U-Edosomwan repeat as members of the this season's All-ODAC Third Team.

RELATED: 2021 All-ODAC Awards | All-Time All-Conference

Anthony, a senior from Arnold, Md., has put together one of the greatest careers in ODAC history, leading a team that has won 91-of-98 games played over the past four years. Anthony is the all-time ODAC record-holder in assists with 731 helpers entering the ODAC Tournament. He is #1 in school history with 227 steals and ranks third in R-MC's record books with 1,835 points scored. This season, Anthony leads the ODAC in assists (169) and three-pointers made (64-of-150). He is third in free throw shooting (83.6% -- 46-of-55) and assist-to-turnover ratio (2.6), fifth in scoring average (17.7) and points scored (408), and sixth in field goals made (149-of-303) and steals (40). He scored in double figures in 19-of-23 games played with nine efforts of 20 or more points including a pair of 32-point outings. He handed out 10 or more assists five times with a season-high 13 in an early season win over then top-five ranked Marietta College.

Mallory, a junior from Beltsville, Md., is a major component of a Yellow Jackets defense that allows a league-low 59.1 points per game, the second-best mark in Division III. Mallory leads the league in blocked shots (60) and is third in total rebounds (208) and defensive boards (208). He is fourth in rebounding average (8.3) and fifth in offensive boards (66). While this individual honor is for his defensive work, Mallory's offensive game helped earn him All-ODAC First Team recognition. He is second in the ODAC in field goal shooting (57.3%), fifth in field goals made (168-of-293), and eighth in points scored (394) and scoring average (15.8). He has scored in double figures in 21-of-25 games played with eight double-doubles.

Merkel is in his seventh season leading Randolph-Macon's men's program and 11th overall as a collegiate head coach. This is his fifth overall ODAC top-coaching honor, each coming consecutively over the past five years. Randolph-Macon not only entered the ODAC Tournament as the top seed in the 10-team bracket, but the Yellow Jackets are ranked #1 in Division III by D3hoops.com. R-MC was ranked first in that poll in the preseason and took up second and third positions over the first three weeks. The Yellow Jackets returned to the top of the survey in week four and have remained their through the most recent table in week 11. Randolph-Macon is 24-1 with its lone blemish coming via a one-point overtime loss to Christopher Newport University in late November. R-MC has won 41 of its past 42 games dating back to the final five games of 2019-20 and all 12 contests in 2020-21. Merkel enters the ODAC quarterfinals with career records of 205-79 (.722) overall and 139-38 (.785) at Randolph-Macon.

Smith, a first-year from Washington, N.C., is Bridgewater's first ODAC top-rookie since Dimetri Chambers earned the honor in 2018. Smith has made an impact up and down the floor for the Eagles, starting all 25 games filling roles as scorer, facilitator, and defensive pick-pocket. He is #1 in the ODAC in steals with 53 and ranks third in assists with 124. He is 10th in scoring at 14.9 points per game, and is second in the league in free throws made (105-of-144). Smith has scored in double figures in 20 games with four 20-point efforts. He registered a season-best 22 points on three occasions, including in BC's 85-74 victory at Eastern Mennonite in the ODAC quarterfinals.

Draper, a junior from Roanoke, Va., stars on and off the floor for Roanoke as he pairs this honor with an All-ODAC First Team nod. In the classroom, Draper maintains a 4.00 grade point average as a business administration major with a concentration in marketing. He is a five-time honoree on Roanoke's President's List and a two-time All-ODAC Academic Team honoree. He is a member of Omicron Delta Kappa (leadership) and Delta Mu Delta (business) honor societies, the latter of which he serves as Roanoke's chapter secretary. He, along with Lynchburg's Thacker and R-MC's Anthony, were named Academic All-District by CoSIDA earlier this month.

On the court, Draper leads the ODAC in points scored (513) and free throws made (109-of-156) and is second in scoring (20.5), field goals made (186-of-382) and minutes played (844). He is fourth in defensive rebounds (137), sixth in total rebounds (166), and ninth in rebounding average (6.6). Draper has scored in double figures in all 25 games played, which is a large chunk of a greater streak of games with 10 or more points. He has registered double digits in 39 straight outings dating back to the final three games of 2019-20 and all a 11 contests in 2020-21.

Listed below is the complete set of 2021-22 All-ODAC Men's Basketball Awards. For more information, visit the websites of any of the participating schools, or go to the ODAC's home on the Internet at www.odaconline.com. Don't forget to become a fan of the ODAC on Facebook and follow @odacathletics on Twitter and Instagram.

2021-22 ALL-ODAC MEN'S BASKETBALL AWARDS
Kurt Axe Player of the Year: Buzz Anthony, Sr., G, Randolph-Macon
ODAC Defensive Player of the Year: Miles Mallory, Jr., F, Randolph-Macon
Bob Johnson Coach of the Year: Josh Merkel, Randolph-Macon
ODAC Rookie of the Year: Shod Smith, Fy., G, Bridgewater
ODAC/Va. Farm Bureau Scholar-Athlete: Kasey Draper, Jr., G/F, Roanoke