SoCon awards go to Childress and DeChellis

from staff reports

   East Tennessee State's men's basketball team took two of the three Southern Conference basketball awards announced Monday as senior Dimeco Childress was named the conference Player of the Year while head coach took in Coach of the Year honors.
   Childress is the first ETSU player to earn Player of the Year honors since Keith Jennings was named to the award in back-to-back seasons in 1989-90 and 1990-91.
   DeChellis, meanwhile, becomes the first ETSU coach to win back-to-back Coach of the Year awards.
   Childress has been the leader of the late-season Buccaneer surge that has led to eight straight wins to close the regular season. He is fourth in the SoCon in scoring, averaging 17.6 points per game.
   In his last three homes games, he scored 35, 36 and 42 points, with his 42-point outburst against Western Carolina setting a new Memorial Center record.
   During ETSU's win streak, Childress is averaging 22.9 points a game. He has scored 1,271 points in his career, eighth on ETSU's all-time scoring list.
   DeChellis, in his sixth season at ETSU, has guided the Bucs to back-to-back 18-win seasons and consecutive regular-season North Division titles. His Buccaneer teams have won more conference games (24) over the last two seasons than any other SoCon school.
   In his career at ETSU, DeChellis is 85-81, 49-44 in Southern Conference games. Undefeated in February this season, the Bucs' current eight-game win streak is tied for the ninth longest in the nation with Utah State and has carried the team to No. 17 in this week's CollegeInsider.com Mid-Major poll and among the top 100 teams in the Sagarin power rankings.