By Mike Lehman, TTU Sports Information
COOKEVILLE, Tenn. – Tennessee Tech golf coach Polk Brown announced the annual postseason awards for the Golden Eagle men's team Friday, with four student-athletes taking home honors for the 2021-22 campaign.
Sophomore Nick Sutton collected the team's top honor, earning Gilbert Darcy Most Valuable Player honors after a historic season. The Most Improved Player Award went to redshirt freshman Alexander Bassel while sophomore Sean Anderson earned the team's Coach's Award. Redshirt freshman Jackson Skeen was named the Bobby Nichols Award for Leadership winner.
Sutton delivered one of the best single seasons in program history during his third campaign in the purple and gold, closing out the year third in the Ohio Valley Conference in scoring average with a mark of 71.88. It represented the third-lowest average in program history to only TTU Sports Hall of Famer and PGA Tour Pro Scott Stallings' 2005-06 (71.08) and 2006-07 (71.29) seasons.
Throughout the year, Sutton earned his first medalist honor, winning the Battle at Black Creek with a 12-under 204 to tie for the fourth-lowest 54-hole score in program history, backed by a career-low round of 66. He also earned a runner-up finish and five total top-10 performances while becoming the first Golden Eagle to collect three Golfer of the Week awards in one season since Matthew Giles in 2015-16. He was named to both the All-OVC and OVC All-Tournament Teams as well.
"After having one of the best seasons in the program's history, Nick is very deserving of this honor," Brown said. "He went above and beyond in his preparation every day, and it showed throughout the course of the season. To have had an individual win, several All-Tournament honors, and be a member of the All-OVC and OVC All-Tournament Teams is amazing. It was a pleasure to watch this young man flourish this past season."
Sitting out the COVID-19 shortened 2020-21 season as a redshirt, Bassel showed vast improvement on the course in his first season competing for the purple and gold to take home the Most Improved Player Award. He made his collegiate debut at the Battle at Black Creek and took part in three total events on the year, posting a season-low round of 73 at the Bobby Nichols Intercollegiate.
"Alexander made some great strides this season and showed great improvement from his first year," Brown explained. "He is a consummate team player who always arrives at the course each day ready to get better. I was so proud to see him play in some events and to see the progress he made. There is no doubt he will continue to get better as each year comes to pass."
Last season's Most Improved Player, Anderson competed in a trio of events for the Golden Eagles while emerging as a true leader on the links with his effort and ability to connect with his teammates. He saved his top performance for the final tournament of the season, boasting a top-20 showing at the OVC Championship.
"Sean is so deserving of this award," Brown expressed. "He is one of the hardest workers I've coached in my time here. He has done great work in the classroom, always puts in extra effort in the weight room and on the course, is extremely coachable, and made huge strides this season.
"He's a great ambassador for our program and we are very thankful to have him for a few more years. He will be a huge piece for us moving forward and I'm excited about the leadership he will bring to the table as he begins the latter phase of his career here at Tech."
A transfer from the University of Tennessee, Skeen made an instant impact for the Golden Eagles in his first year of collegiate competition after sitting as a redshirt for the Vols in 2020-21. On his way to earning the first OVC Freshman of the Year honor in program history, he tied for second on the team in scoring average with a mark of 72.76. That mark also tied for fourth in the OVC and eighth all-time in school history.
During the year, he collected spots on both the All-OVC and OVC All-Newcomer Teams while delivering four top-10 finishes. He also collected an OVC Male Golfer of the Week accolade, one of seven for the purple and gold on the year.
"Jackson came into the program and fit in right away," Brown shared. "The team fed of his work ethic and attitude throughout the course of the year. Sometimes, being one of the new players can be challenging from a leadership standpoint, but he did an amazing job of garnering the respect of the team immediately and setting a tone for our program.
"It was impressive to watch him work and see everything he accomplished this past year, including being our first-ever OVC Freshman of the Year, earning a spot on the All-OVC Team, and doing both with all the solid finishes he had during the course of the season. We are really looking forward to what the future holds for this young man."
The Gilbert Darcy MVP Award and the Most Improved Player Award have both been presented since 1994. The Coach's Award and Bobby Nichols Award for Leadership were established for the 2019-20 season, replacing a few other honors from the past.
The Coach's Award goes to the player displaying the best attitude, most dedication, and biggest impact to the team for the given year. The Bobby Nichols Award for Leadership, named after the late, Hall of Fame head coach, is presented to the player who has shown and provided the most leadership on the team during the given year.
Men's Awards
Gilbert Darcy MVP: Nick Sutton
Most Improved Player: Alexander Bassel
Coach's Award: Sean Anderson
Bobby Nichols Award for Leadership: Jackson Skeen
