Texas Border Business
RIO GRANDE VALLEY – CollegeInsider.com has named junior point guard Javon Levi of The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley (UTRGV) men’s basketball team to the 2020 Lefty Driesell Defensive All-America Team for the second year in a row.
Levi is the only player from the Western Athletic Conference (WAC) and one of two from a Texas institution on the team.
The WAC Defensive Player of the Year and a member of the WAC All-Defensive Team and All-WAC Second Team, Levi ranked second in the NCAA in assists per game (7.96), 11th in steals per game (2.4), 12th in assist-to-turnover ratio (2.93), 13th in total assists (199), and 34th in total steals (60), leading the WAC in each category.
Levi also averaged 11.4 points and 3.3 rebounds in 25 games. He led UTRGV in assists 23 times, scoring twice and rebounding five times. Levi reached double-figures in scoring 15 times, including two games of 20+ points, and assists nine times en route to four double-doubles.
Levi ranks second in program history in total steals (204) and fourth in total assists (524). He ranks 16th in WAC history and second among teams still in the WAC in total assists.
The award is named after Lefty Driesell who won 786 games in 41 years at Davidson, Maryland, James Madison, and Georgia State. He ranks eighth on the NCAA career Division I coaches victories list and his teams at each stop were known for playing tenacious defense. From 1969-86 at Maryland, his teams posted a 348-159 record, won two Atlantic Coast Conference regular-season titles and one tournament title.
Driesell also led Davidson, Georgia State, and James Madison to the NCAA Tournament, making him one of three coaches to reach the NCAA Tournament with four different programs. His teams won a total of 16 regular season championships and six tournament championships.
2020 LEFTY DRIESELL DEFENSIVE ALL-AMERICA TEAM
| Tyler Bey | 6-7 | Jr. | Colorado |
| Mamadi Diakite | 6-9 | Sr. | Virginia |
| Malachi Flynn | 6-1 | Jr. | San Diego State |
| Trent Forrest | 6-4 | Sr. | Florida State |
| Javon Freeman-Liberty | 6-3 | So. | Valparaiso |
| Marcus Garrett | 6-5 | Jr. | Kansas |
| Romaro Gill | 7-2 | Sr. | Seton Hall |
| Jacob Gilyard | 5-9 | Jr. | Richmond |
| Ashton Hagans | 6-3 | So. | Kentucky |
| Juvaris Hayes | 6-1 | Sr. | Merrimack |
| Tre Jones | 6-3 | So. | Duke |
| Davonta Jordan | 6-2 | Sr. | Buffalo |
| Nathan Knight | 6-10 | Sr. | William & Mary |
| Javon Levi | 5-11 | Jr. | UT Rio Grande Valley |
| Isaiah Miller | 6-0 | Jr. | UNCG |
| Davion Mitchell | 6-3 | So. | Baylor |
| Ruot Monyyong | 6-10 | Jr. | Little Rock |
| Osasumwen Osaghae | 6-9 | Sr. | FIU |
| Daniel Oturu | 6-10 | So. | Minnesota |
| Jonah Radebaugh | 6-3 | Sr. | Northern Colorado |
| Zavier Simpson | 6-0 | Sr. | Michigan |
| Jalen Tate | 6-6 | Jr. | Northern Kentucky |
| Aaron Thompson Jr. | 6-2 | Jr. | Butler |
| Jahlil Tripp | 6-5 | Sr. | Pacific |
| Mark Vital | 6-5 | Jr. | Baylor |
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