ATLANTA, GA | Morehouse placed three players on the SIAC men's basketball honors list, but the final results also left the Maroon Tigers with plenty of motivation heading into the conference tournament. Sincere Moore was selected to the All-SIAC Second Team, JerMontae Hill earned All-SIAC Third Team honors, and Jared White was named to the SIAC All-Freshman Team after helping Morehouse finish 19-5 in conference play.

For a team that claimed the No. 1 seed in the SIAC East, earned the top overal seed in the SIAC Basketball Tournament, and put together a 10-game winning streak during the season, the recognition was meaningful, but it also felt incomplete.

Moore's second-team selection came after a strong all-around conference season in which he averaged 13.5 points, 4.6 rebounds, 1.8 assists, and 2.2 steals per game while shooting .893 at the free-throw line. Those numbers placed him among the SIAC's most productive two-way guards and made him one of the major reasons Morehouse spent the winter near the top of the standings. Even so, Moore's omission from Newcomer of the Year adds another layer of fuel for a player who was one of the league's most impactful additions from start to finish.

Hill, meanwhile, earned third-team honors after serving as one of Morehouse's most dependable all-around players in conference action. He averaged 11.1 points and 6.6 rebounds per game, while also adding 41 assists, 30 steals, and 8 blocks, giving the Maroon Tigers a physical, versatile presence every night. His ability to do a little bit of everything helped Morehouse win tight games, control tempo, and stay steady through the grind of league play.

White's place on the All-Freshman Team was another sign of the value he brought to a winning team. In conference games, the freshman guard averaged 5.2 points with 40 assists and 22 steals, while appearing in 24 league contests, starting the final 12 conference games, and carving out a dependable role in meaningful minutes. Despite taking over as the starting point guard for the regular-season division champions, the fact that White did not take home Freshman of the Year gives Morehouse another reason to feel as though its full body of work was not completely recognized.

The biggest frustrations, though, likely centered on the names that were left off the all-conference teams entirely. Josiah Lawson averaged a team-best 14.0 points per game in conference play while shooting .490 from the field and .392 from three-point range, numbers that clearly put him in the conversation for one of the league's top forwards. Brandon Peters also built a strong case, averaging 11.0 points, 4.0 rebounds, and 2.4 assists per game while shooting .477 overall and .396 from beyond the arc in conference games. For a first-place team to have those two resumes go unrewarded will only deepen the feeling inside the program that Morehouse deserved more.

There is also a strong case to be made for Larry Dixon as Coach of the Year. When preseason selections were announced, the Maroon Tigers were expected to finish no higher than 3rd in the SIAC East and 5th overall. At the end, Dixon guided the Maroon Tigers to an 19-5 league record, the top seed in the SIAC East, and a season in which Morehouse outscored conference opponents by nearly eight points per game (best in the conference) while forcing 16.2 turnovers per contest and holding opponents to .294 shooting from three-point range.That combination of results, discipline, and late-season momentum made Dixon's omission one that will not be easily ignored.

Now, Morehouse heads into the SIAC Tournament with hardware, recognition, and a little extra anger. Moore, Hill, and White have already been acknowledged for their work, but the Maroon Tigers clearly believe there was more respect to be earned across the board. In March, that kind of feeling can be dangerous, and Morehouse will try to turn every perceived slight into energy when the tournament begins. For up-to-date athletic information on the Maroon Tigers, follow them on social media or online at www.morehouseathletics.com or Maroon Tiger basketball on Instagram @morehousebasketball.