NORFOLK, Va. — Reginald Johnson, Jr., of Hampton University, was named the 2016 Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) Male Student-Athlete of the Year, the conference announced today.

“I would like to congratulate Reginald Johnson, Jr.,” Commissioner Dr. Dennis Thomas said. “He’s had an absolutely phenomenal career at Hampton University, not only as a student-athlete, but academically and in extracurricular activities as well. I wish him continued success and I would like to thank all the people who had a positive influence on Reginald.”

Johnson, a Chicago, Illinois native, was a two-year letterman and two-year starter as a guard for the Hampton men’s basketball team. In 50 career games with the Pirates, Johnson averaged 18.1 points and 3.5 assists per game. He led Hampton to two MEAC Basketball Tournament championships (2015 and 2016) and was a member of the MEAC All-Tournament Teams during both years.

After transferring from Miami University (Ohio) in January 2014, Johnson earned Hampton’s 2014-2015 Outstanding Newcomer Award. As team captain during the 2015-2016 season, he was selected as the 2016 MEAC Men’s Basketball Tournament’s Most Outstanding Player and named to the 2016 First Team All-District 15 by the National Association of Basketball Coaches (NABC).

Johnson graduated in May 2016 with a Bachelor of Science degree in Sports Management, accumulating a 3.18 GPA.

In the community, Johnson volunteered at local elementary schools in Hampton and Newport News, Va. He also participated in Jump Rope for Heart, Read Across America and the annual Pirates Leading Area Youth Day. In addition, he worked in Hampton’s Athletic Department as a marketing representative.

The Male Student-Athlete of the Year honor is provided to the student-athlete who has excelled academically and athletically and is in his final season of intercollegiate athletic eligibility and competition under MEAC and NCAA regulations for the sport in which the student-athlete was nominated.

Each of the MEAC’s 13-member institutions may nominate one male student-athlete for the honor. The honoree is selected by a committee of five conference Athletic Directors that use a combination of the following criteria in selection of the award: service of leadership, academic achievement and athletics excellence.