NSIC All-Conference Teams & Awards Announced

[wscsuperfan]

http://northernsun.org/news/2017/2/2...223170839.aspx

MEN

NSIC Player of the Year
F - Aaron Lien, Minnesota State-Moorhead (SR)
- Led MSUM to second NSIC overall title in three years and fourth straight NSIC north title
- Fifth in the NSIC in scoring (18.5)
- Shot 57 percent from the field in NSIC games, eighth-best in NSIC
- Third in free-throw percentage (.891)
- Scored in double figures in 18 of 22 conference games
- Three-time NSIC North Player of the Week
- Scored 30 points or more three times in NSIC play

NSIC Defensive Player of the Year
C - Jordan Hay, Upper Iowa (SR)
- Started all 22 conference games averaging 6.2 rebounds to go along with 1.4 blocks, and 1.5 steals per game
- Ranked fourth in the NSIC in total blocks (31) and total steals (32)
- Recorded at least one block in 17 of the 22 NSIC games, totaling at least 3 blocks on four separate occasions
- Tallied at least one steal in 15 league games, swiping at least 3 in four different games
- Pulled down 94 defensive rebounds, and totaled at least 7 boards in 8 different NSIC games
- Totaled a new career-high with 13 rebounds against SMSU and pulled down 10 more against WSC for his two highest totals of the season
- Tallied four blocks and four steals against Winona State, and reached a career-high 5 steals against Bemidji State
- Averaged 13.0 points per game, shooting 56.7% from the field
- Named NSIC South Division Player of the Week in early December after posting 34 points against Concordia-St. Paul and Minnesota State
- Connected on a career-best 26 points twice this season at SMSU and at home against MSU

NSIC Freshman of the Year
G - Harrison Cleary, Minnesota-Crookston (FR)NSIC Newcomer of the Year
F/C - Logan Doyle, Northern State (JR)
- Appeared in all 28 games, starting the final 14 of the regular season
- Averaging 14.1 points and 9.4 rebounds per game
- Recorded nine double-double this season
- Scored a career high 25 points versus Minot State on Jan. 7
- Notched a career high 20 rebounds versus Minnesota Crookston on Feb. 10
- Sits second in the league in offensive rebounds (2.7) and blocked shots (2.0)
- Sits third in the league in rebounding averaging 9.3 per game

NSIC Coach of the Year
Brad Bigler, Southwest Minnesota StateAll-NSIC First Team
G - Jordan Spencer, Augustana (JR)
F - Bryan Jefferson, Mary (SR)
F - Jon Fuqua, Minnesota State-Mankato (SR)
G - Tanner Kretchman, Minnesota State-Moorhead (JR)
F - Aaron Lien, Minnesota State-Moorhead (SR)
F - Tyler Rudolph, Minot State (JR)
F/C - Logan Doyle, Northern State (JR)
G - Ryan Bruggeman, Southwest Minnesota State (SO)
G/F - Gage Davis, St. Cloud State (SO)
G - Carson Parker, Upper Iowa (JR)

All-NSIC Second Team
F - Mike Busack, Augustana (SR)
G - Harrison Cleary, Minnesota-Crookston (FR)
F - Joey Witthus, Minnesota State-Mankato (SO)
G - Mack Arvidson, Northern State (SR)
G - Ian Smith, Northern State (SO)
F - Ayob Ayob, Minnesota State-Moorhead (SR)
G - Scottie Stone, St. Cloud State (SR)
C - Jordan Hay, Upper Iowa (SR)
F - Kendall Jacks, Wayne State (SO)
F - Riley Bambenek, Winona State (SR)

[wscsuperfan]

Re: NSIC All-Conference Teams & Awards Announced

WOMEN

NSIC Player of the Year
F - Drew Sannes, Minnesota State-Moorhead (JR)
- Led MSUM to NSIC overall and NSIC North titles
- Eighth in NSIC in scoring at 15.5 ppg in 22 NSIC contests
- Tied for fifth in rebounding with 8.1 rpg
- Sixth in free throw percentage hitting at an 87.5 clip
- Third in blocks per game at 2.4
- Third in defensive rebounds at 7.0 boards per contest
- Recorded 10 double-doubles in NSIC games
- Named NSIC North Division Player of the Week three times during season

NSIC Defensive Player of the Year
G - Logan O'Farrell, Augustana (JR)
- Second Straight NSIC Defensive Player of the Year honor
- Blocked 27 shots in conference play and 36 shots on the year
- Had 36 steals in conference play and 55 on the year
- Earned a season-high six steals against Minnesota State on Jan. 6
- Tied her season-high in blocked shots of three, four different times
- Averaged a team-best 11.9 points per game
- Scored a season-high 22-points against SMSU and Wayne State
- Scored her 1,000 career point against Winona State on Feb. 17
- Ranked seventh on the Augustana All-Time blocks list with 119 career blocked shots
- Tied for 10th on the Augustana All-Time steals list with 200 career steals
- NSIC South Division Player of the Week (2/13/17)

NSIC Freshman of the Year
G - Gabbie Bohl, Mary (FR)
- Led all Northern Sun freshmen in league-games only scoring at 17.4 points per game and finished 5th overall
- Shot 52.9 percent in league games, the sixth best mark
- Reached double digits in all but two of the 22 NSIC games
- Posted 20 or more points eight times, including a career-high 29 against Minot State in her first NSIC contest
- Scored 20 or more points in six of her last nine league outings
- Earned NSIC Player of the Week honors Feb. 6 after scoring 26 points against USF and 23 against SMSU with eight rebounds in both games
- Produced three of four double doubles in NSIC games with the fourth against #4 Cal Baptist
- Led Marauders in scoring at 15.2 PPG while shooting 48.9 percent and averaging 5.9 rebounds/game
- Seventh in NCAA and first in NSIC with 184 free throw attempts

NSIC Coach of the Year
Karla Nelson, Minnesota State-Moorhead
- Guided MSUM to first NSIC overall title since 2004-05
- Led MSUM to 23-3 overall mark and 20-2 in NSIC record
- Posted 17th straight winning season as MSUM head coach
- Helped MSUM to be ranked in top 25 for eight straight weeks with a high of 11th
- Won 300th career game at St. Cloud State (2/17/17)

All-NSIC First Team
G - Logan O'Farrell, Augustana (JR)
G - Aimee Pelzer, Bemidji State (SR)
C - Caitlyn Russell, Concordia-St. Paul (SR)
G - Anna Schmitt, Concordia-St. Paul (SO)
F - Drew Sannes, Minnesota State-Moorhead (JR)
C - Miranda Ristau, Northern State (JR)
F/C - Sam Knecht, Sioux Falls (SR)
G - Betsy MacDonald, St. Cloud State (SR)
G - Blair Klostermann, Upper Iowa
C - Paige Ballinger, Wayne State (JR)

All-NSIC Second Team
G - Gabbie Bohl, Mary (FR)
G - Allison Hughes, Minnesota-Crookston (SO)
G - Sammy Kozlowski, Minnesota-Duluth (SO)
F - Taylor Meyer, Minnesota-Duluth (SR)
G - Cassidy Thorson, Minnesota State-Moorhead (JR)
F - Jill Conrad, Northern State (JR)
G - Chelsea Nooker, St. Cloud State (SR)
F - Maggie Schulte, Wayne State (JR)
G - Jenny Tuttle, Winona State (SR)
G - Tara Roelofs, Winona State (SR)

All-Defensive Team
G - Logan O'Farrell, Augustana (JR)
G - Hannah Larson, Mary (SR)
G - Sammy Kozlowski, Minnesota-Duluth (SO)
F/C - Sam Knecht, Sioux Falls (SR)
G - Chelsea Nooker, St. Cloud State (SR)

All-Freshman Team
G - Gabbie Bohl, Mary
G - Lauren Rotunda, Mary
G - Taylor Klug, Minnesota State-Mankato
G/F - Morgan Ham, Minnesota State-Moorhead
F - Caleigh Rodning, Southwest Minnesota State

[wscsuperfan]

Re: NSIC All-Conference Teams & Awards Announced

Interesting the league does Preseason Player of the Year Awards per division, but the postseason awards are conference wide, not division wide

[MrAugustana]

Re: NSIC All-Conference Teams & Awards Announced

This may not be that out of the ordinary, but props to the Augie women for winning the South Division title and finishing 2nd overall in the conference while only having one player, Logan O'Farrell, on either the 1st, 2nd or All-Defensive team.

[MrAugustana]

Re: NSIC All-Conference Teams & Awards Announced

This may not be that out of the ordinary, but props to the Augie women for winning the South Division title and finishing 2nd overall in the conference while only having one player, Logan O'Farrell, on either the 1st, 2nd or All-Defensive team.

Side note: This is more than likely the extent of my women's basketball commentary for pretty much the rest of the season. So don't get too worked up, simple.

[MStateMaverick]

Re: NSIC All-Conference Teams & Awards Announced

Congratulations to Fuqua and Witthus for making the 1st and second teams, respectively. Also to Taylor Klug for making the all-freshman team on the women's side.

[Purple Mav Man]

Re: NSIC All-Conference Teams & Awards Announced

Interesting the league does Preseason Player of the Year Awards per division, but the postseason awards are conference wide, not division wide

Better to have just one winner IMO.

A couple surprises for sure. Nothing terribly shocking, but certainly a couple surprises.

[Stanger86]

Re: NSIC All-Conference Teams & Awards Announced

This may not be that out of the ordinary, but props to the Augie women for winning the South Division title and finishing 2nd overall in the conference while only having one player, Logan O'Farrell, on either the 1st, 2nd or All-Defensive team.

Same story with the SMSU men

[MrAugustana]

Re: NSIC All-Conference Teams & Awards Announced

Same story with the SMSU men

Yeah, but I really don't like SMSU, so no props to you guys.

;)

[Pistols_33]

Re: NSIC All-Conference Teams & Awards Announced

Yeah, but I really don't like SMSU, so no props to you guys.

;)

I'm going to vent here about these, because for some reason they push a button with me...but there are times when i don't understand these and you guys have picked out two examples. How does a top 2 team in the league only put one team member on the all-conference list? I understand scheme and system and everything, but for some reason it just doesn't settle with me. It's obviously a lot tougher as well with large conferences (14 or 16 teams) because you feel like the best player from each team is probably worthy. I'm more familiar with the MIAA, but I think NW and UCM players get jobbed on the All-Defensive team even though they consistently have the best defenses in the league. Like i said, I understand scheme and systems, but still...to allow less than 70ppg and consistently hold conference opponents to under 60 or 50 points, you have to have some good and/or GREAT defensive players with great defensive techniques to do that. Not just shooting lanes and gambling all the time for steals...I would guess that many times a guy that gets +2 steals a game is also responsible for +2 (4-6 points) easy buckets for the other team. Obviously there are exceptions and really good defensive players that DO get the credit, but undoubtedly, every year, especially in the MIAA, there are 1 or 2 kids on the All-Defensive team who have no business being nominated, not to mention awarded. Can't guard their own shadow.

Now, sorry for all that, and congrats to all the kids, i don't want to take anything away from anybody. But when someone is "surprised" to see a name, or NOT see a name on these things its usually for a reason...

...because honestly, aren't we all on here pretty much basketball savants and our opinion is a little more than an opinion?

[DapperDan]

Re: NSIC All-Conference Teams & Awards Announced

Clearly should be first team. Best point guard in the league.

[DapperDan]

Re: NSIC All-Conference Teams & Awards Announced

I know it's Cleary. My devices keep correcting my spelling.

[MrAugustana]

Re: NSIC All-Conference Teams & Awards Announced

Clearly should be first team. Best point guard in the league.

As far as point guards go, I'll take Jordan Spencer's 16 points per game, 7.3 assists per game and 2.9 assist-to-turnover ratio over Cleary's 22 points per game, 2.3 assists per game and -0.85 (yes, negative 0.85) assist-to-turnover ratio.

Unless you simply meant best scoring point guard in the league. In which case I'd still take Spencer probably, because if his only job was to score points (as seems to be the case for Cleary, based on his assist and turnover numbers), I would imagine he'd be able to put up 22 or so points per game too.

[Husky]

Re: NSIC All-Conference Teams & Awards Announced

Cleary is the starting 2 guard for Crookston, Kobe Critchley starts at point and didnt play last night for some reason

[DapperDan]

Re: NSIC All-Conference Teams & Awards Announced

Cleary is the starting 2 guard for Crookston, Kobe Critchley starts at point and didnt play last night for some reason

Well then he's the best 2 guard in the league.