Southwest athletes honored by the All-Tennessee Community College Athletic Association

By Keith Gentry

Saluqi

Five Southwest basketball players received All-Tennessee Community College Athletic Association (TCCAA) honors for the 2023-24 season, including one first team selection.

Nick Woodard
Nick Woodard

Sophomore forward Nick Woodard was the lone first team honoree. He led the Saluqis with averages of 17.8 points, 7.8 rebounds and 1.3 blocked shots per game. Woodard scored double figures in every game he played during the season with a high game of 30 points against Cleveland State Community College. In addition, Woodard finished his career at Southwest with 1,198 points which ranks him as the 6th all-time Saluqi scorer and the all-time leader since the merger of Shelby State Community College and State Technical Institute at Memphis in 2000.

Jaden Taylor
Jaden Taylor 

Sophomore guard Jaden Taylor was named to the second team. Taylor averaged 17.8 points and 5.7 rebounds and led the team with 6.6 assists per game. His total of 210 assists this season ranks him in the top 10 Saluqis all-time. Taylor also scored in double digits in every game he played with a high game of 30 points against Vincennes University. He was at his best in the post-season, averaging 22.0 points and 10.3 assists per game in the TCCAA/NJCAA Region VII Tournament, including 27 points and a career-high 13 assists in the Saluqis' quarterfinal win over Roane State Community College. 

CorTayza Flowers 
CorTayza Flowers

Three members of the Lady Saluqis' basketball team were named to the 2nd team All-TCCAA. Sophomore guard CorTayza Flowers, a repeat selection after making first team as a freshman, averaged 11.0 points, 2.0 assists, and 1.5 steals per game. She scored in double figures in 20 games this season including a high game of 20 points against Dyersburg State Community College.
      
Jaliyah Zackery
Jaliyah Zackery

Deziya McClendon                                                      
Deziya McClendon

Joining Flowers on the 2nd team were freshmen forwards Jaliyah Zackery and Deziya McClendon. Zackery led the Lady Saluqis in scoring with an average of 12.0 points per game and in-field goal percentage at 55.4 percent and was second in rebounding at 7.5 per game. She had a high game of 26 points against Cleveland State in the regular season and also against Jackson State Community College in the TCCAA/NJCAA Region VII quarterfinals. McClendon averaged 10.2 points per game and led the team in rebounding with 8.6 per game. She had 12 games of at least 10 rebounds including a season-high 20 boards against Columbia State Community College. 

Way to go, Saluqis!