BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – Union University men’s basketball forward Judson Bjornstad has been named the Gulf South Conference men’s basketball Freshman of the Year, the league office announced Tuesday.
Bjornstad is the second-straight Bulldog to win the award–after Jordan Pyke was the top freshman in 2023-24–and Union’s fifth winner in the last nine seasons, joining Tray Boyd (2016-17), Tyree Boykin (2017-18), and Justin Debuck (2020-21).
Bjornstad averaged 8.8 points and 5.0 rebounds as a half-hour player and starter in all 28 regular season games. He scored in double-figures on 10 occasions, including a high of 26 against AUM on February 8. Bjornstad claimed 10 boards at Montevallo on December 21 and reached five or more rebounds 17 times.
In the conference rankings, Bjornstad is 12th in blocks per game (0.8), 16th in offensive rebounds (1.4), 22nd in overall rebounding, and 25th in minutes per game (29.7). The 6-foot-8 Murfreesboro, Tenn., native totaled 44 assists.
Bjornstad claimed the GSC’s Freshman of the Week award six times, including five within a span of seven announcements. His half-dozen FOTW nods place Bjornstad in a tie for second-most in GSC history.
Union finished the regular season 13-15 (9-13) and earned the 7-seed in the conference tournament. The Bulldogs will play at 2-seed and nationally ranked Valdosta State 23-5 (18-4) tonight, March 4, at 5:30 p.m.
