Emory University men's basketball junior standouts Ben Pearce and Jair Knight were recognized by the National Association of Basketball Coaches and D3hoops.com organizations Tuesday afternoon. They are the first pair of Emory teammates to be NABC All-Region choices in back-to-back seasons.
After being tabbed to the Bevo Francis Award Top 25 Watch List over the weekend, Knight makes his second appearance on the NABC All-Region team with his selection by D3hoops.com to marking the first of his career. He was a First Team performer by NABC and landed a spot on the Second Team by D3hoops.com. He follows Pearce as the third Eagle in program history to be an All-Region selection by both organizations.
For Pearce, the Bevo Francis Award Top 100 and Top 50 Watch List member earns All-Region acclaim by both organizations for the second consecutive season. With his third straight pick to the NABC and D3hoops.com All-Region Second Teams, Pearce becomes just the second player in program history to be a three-time All-Region honoree by both publications.
Knight and Pearce brought Emory back into the national conversation in 2024-25 as the duo led the Eagles to a 23-6 overall record and a berth to the NCAA Elite Eight – the second-ever appearance in the national quarterfinals – after missing the postseason last year. Emory began the season as the No. 8 ranked team in the country by D3hoops.com and did not fall below No. 12 throughout the entire season. The Eagles also achieved their first-ever No. 1 ranking in school history as Emory was tabbed as the top team in the country in consecutive polls back in December. The 23 victories posted by the Eagles were tied for the second-most in a single season in team history. Earlier this month, both players were recognized by the conference office with All-University Athletic Association First Team nods.
Knight finished third in the UAA in scoring at 19.0 points per game and was inside the top 60 in the nation with 550 total points – the fifth-most in a single-season in Emory history. Knight was the conference leader in steals for the second consecutive season and finished fifth in the UAA with 32 blocks. His 212 successful field goals were second-most in the vaunted conference and he was sixth with 199 rebounds.
Pearce set a new career-high with 494 points as he ended the campaign with a 17.0 scoring clip. He was one of the top distributors in Division III with his UAA-leading 159 assists, placing him sixth in the country. He was fifth in the conference in scoring and ended the year second behind Knight in steals among UAA leaders with 56. Pearce also ranked a top the UAA leaders with his 37.2% from long range (3rd), third in assist/turnover ratio and fourth in minutes played.
