NEW ORLEANS, La. — App State senior guard Justin Forrest has been named Preseason First Team All-Sun Belt, the league announced on Thursday.
Forrest is coming off of a season in which he played in 26 games, making 23 starts. He averaged a team leading 13.2 points, while ranking second on the team in steals (39) and third in assists (67). He was named Third Team All-Sun Belt for his efforts.
Forrest also was named to the Sun Belt Tournament All-Tournament team after averaging 20.0 points and 3.4 rebounds in four games, helping the Mountaineers capture the tournament championship. He reached double figures in all four contests, including a 28-point effort in a quarterfinal victory over Texas State.
A two-time all-conference honoree, Forrest is averaging 15.1 points in his career. He has scored 1,828 points in his career, which ranks third in program history.
His strong season in 2020-21 helped the Mountaineers post 17 victories and punch the program’s first ticket to the NCAA Tournament since 2000.
Forrest and the Mountaineers open the 2021-22 season at Iona on Nov. 9. App State hosts ETSU in its home opener on Nov. 12.
Season tickets for the 2021-22 season can be purchased by clicking here.
2021-22 Sun Belt Conference Men’s Basketball Preseason Awards
Preseason Player of the Year
Norchad Omier, Arkansas State (Fr., F – Bluefields, Nicaragua)
Preseason All-Sun Belt First Team
Justin Forrest, App State (Sr., G – Decatur, Ga.)
Norchad Omier, Arkansas State (Fr., F – Bluefields, Nicaragua)
Corey Allen, Georgia State (Sr., G – Ypsilanti, Mich.)
Theo Akwuba, Louisiana (Jr., F – Montgomery, Ala.)
Mason Harrell, Texas State (Sr., G – Midwest City, Okla.)
Preseason All-Sun Belt Second Team
Marquis Eaton, Arkansas State (Sr., G – Helena, Ark.)
Eliel Nsoseme, Georgia State (Sr., F – Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of the Congo)
Kane Williams, Georgia State (Sr., G – Douglasville, Ga.)
David Azore, UTA (Gr., G – Houston, Texas)
Caleb Asberry, Texas State (Sr., G – Pflugerville, Texas)
Preseason All-Sun Belt Third Team
Nikola Maric, Little Rock (Sr., F – Trebinje, Bosnia-Herzegovina)
Essam Mostafa, Coastal Carolina (RS So., C – Cairo, Egypt)
Jordan Brown, Louisiana (So. F – Roseville, Calif.)
Isiah Small, Texas State (Sr., F – Jersey City, N.J.)
Nick Stampley, Troy (Sr., F – Broward County, Fla.)
App State athletics contributed to this column
