Underclassmen lead All-MIAA men’s basketball team
Nebraska-Kearney junior forward Connor Beranek was chosen men’s basketball player of the year by the Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletic Association after leading the league in scoring at 19.7 points per game.
Beranek was joined on the All-MIAA first team by teammate Ethan Brozek, a junior foward who is second in the league in scoring at 17.2 points per game; Central Missouri senior forward Brennen Hughes, who leads the league in field-goal percentage; Pittsburg State sophomore Josiah Gustafson; and Northwest Missouri freshman Justin Pitts, who was also chosen freshman of the year.
Northwest Missouri senior guard Matt Wallace was chosen defensive player of the year.
Northwest Missouri guard Justin Pitts was the freshman of the year.
Pittsburg State’s Kevin Muff and Northwest Missouri’s Ben McCollum shared the award for MIAA coach of the year. McCollum’s Bearcats won the MIAA regular-season title and are the top seed in the conference tournament.
All-MIAA men’s basketball team
▪ Player of the year: Connor Beranek, Jr., F, Nebraska-Kearney
▪ Defensive player of the year: Matt Wallace, Sr., G, Northwest Missouri
▪ Freshman of the year: Justin Pitts, Fr., G, Northwest Missouri
▪ Co-coaches of the year: Kevin Muff, Pittsburg State, Ben McCollum, Northwest Missouri
First team
Connor Beranek, Jr., F, Nebraska-Kearney
Brennen Hughes, Sr., F, Central Missouri
Ethan Brozek, Jr., F, Nebraska-Kearney
Justin Pitts, Fr., G, Northwest Missouri
Josiah Gustafson, So., Pittsburg State
Second team
Taevaunn Prince, Jr., F, Missouri Southern
Rakeem Dickerson, Sr., G, Central Missouri
Conner Crooker, Jr., G, Northwest Missouri
Darris Smith, Sr., G, Lindenwood
Kyle Wiggins, Sr., G, Washburn
Third team
Dom Samac, Jr., F, Fort Hays State
Terrence Moore, Jr., G, Emporia State
Devon Branch, Sr., G, Pittsburg State
Menas Stephens, Sr., G, Southwest Baptist
Mahlon Jones, Sr., G, Central Oklahoma
All-defensive team
Matt Wallace, Sr., G, Northwest Missouri
TJ White, Sr., G, Central Missouri
Javis Flynn, Jr., G, Pittsburg State
Greg Renfroe, Jr., C, Missouri Southern
Preston Brunz, Sr., G, Central Missouri
▪ Honorable mention: Dillon Deck, Sr., Central Missouri; Phillip Brown, Sr., Central Oklahoma; Craig Nicholson, Jr., Fort Hays State; Joshua Buie, Sr., Lincoln; Cory Arentsen, Jr., Lindenwood; Chance Creekmur, Sr., Lindenwood; Cameron Cornelius, Sr., Missouri Southern; Lane Barlow, Sr., Missouri Southern; Cortrez Colbert, Sr., Missouri Western; Trey Mohair, Jr., Northeastern State; Grant Cozad, Sr., Northwest Missouri; Zach Schneider, So., Northwest Missouri; Alex North, Sr., Washburn
This story was originally published March 3, 2015 at 5:16 PM with the headline "Underclassmen lead All-MIAA men’s basketball team."