IRVING, Texas – East Carolina freshman forward Ezra Ausar has been unanimously named to the American Athletic Conference All-Freshman Team and graduate center Ludgy Debaut has received the AAC Sportsmanship Award according to an announcement by the conference office on Wednesday afternoon.
 
Ausar becomes the first Pirate freshman to receive the postseason honor since 2019 when Jayden Gardner was also unanimously selected. The Atlanta native has enjoyed a strong freshman campaign averaging 9.6 points per game and 4.9 rebounds per game on 57 percent shooting from the floor, which leads all AAC freshmen.

ECU men open AAC tournament Thursday vs. South Florida

Debaut is averaging 2.2 points a night and three rebounds a game on 45 percent shooting in his final season as a Pirate. The Guadeloupe native is the first Pirate to receive the award and has played a total of 79 games in the Purple and Gold, including 42 starts in his ECU career.
 
The Pirates will face South Florida in the first round of the AAC Championship on Thursday at 12:30 p.m. ET on ESPNU.
 
Below is the full list of the AAC postseason awards:
 
Player of the Year
Marcus Sasser, Sr., G, Houston
Coach of the Year
Kelvin Sampson, Houston
Defensive Player of the Year
Jamal Shead, Jr., G, Houston
Freshman of the Year
Jarace Walker, F, Houston
Most Improved Player of the Year
J’Wan Roberts, R-Jr., F, Houston
Sixth Man of the Year
Reggie Chaney, Sr., F, Houston
Sportsmanship Award
Ludgy Debaut, Gr., C, East Carolina
Sion James, So., G, Tulane
First-Team All-Conference
Landers Nolley II, R-Sr., G, Cincinnati
Marcus Sasser, Sr., G, Houston*
Kendric Davis, Sr., G, Memphis*
DeAndre Williams, Sr., F, Memphis
Jalen Cook, So., G, Tulane
Second-Team All-Conference
Taylor Hendricks, Fr., F, UCF
Jamal Shead, Jr., G, Houston
J’Wan Roberts, R-Jr., F, Houston
Jarace Walker, Fr., F, Houston
Jaylen Forbes, Jr., G, Tulane
Third-Team All-Conference
David DeJulius, Gr., G, Cincinnati
Tyler Harris, Sr., G, South Florida
Damian Dunn, R-So., G, Temple
Kevin Cross, Jr., F, Tulane
Craig Porter Jr, Sr., G, Wichita State
All-Freshman Team
Taylor Hendricks, F, UCF*
Ezra Ausar, F, East Carolina*
Jarace Walker, F, Houston*
Terrance Arceneaux, G, Houston
Emanuel Sharp, G, Houston
* denotes unanimous selection