FHSU Sports Information
Fort Hays State men’s basketball had three players named to the 2014 All-MIAA Team, announced Tuesday. Craig Nicholson was a unanimous first-team selection, while Dwayne Brunson earned second-team and Carson Konrade earned honorable mention honors.
Nicholson joined DeShaun Cooper (MIAA Player of the Year) of Northwest Missouri State, Josh Gibbs of Central Oklahoma, Marquis Addison of Missouri Southern, and Dillon Deck of Central Missouri as first-team selections. The top five teams in the conference standings all had one representative on the first team. Nicholson and Cooper were the only unanimous selections.
Nicholson, a sophomore from Wichita, Kan., enters the MIAA Tournament averaging 17.7 points, 7.5 assists, and 2.0 steals per game. He ranks fifth nationally in assists per game and second in total assists (210). The 210 assists currently ranks fifth-most in a single season at FHSU and he now has 402 in his career, just the third FHSU player in history to reach the 400 mark, joining Raymond Lee and Mark Wilson. Nicholson has already broke the FHSU single-season free-throws made record set by Wilson in 1979 (169) with 185 so far this year. Nicholson shoots at a 46 percent rate from the field and an 80.1 percent clip at the free-throw line. Nicholson had four double-doubles in points and assists this year. He ranks first in the MIAA in assists per game, fifth in scoring, second in steals per game, second in assist/turnover ratio, sixth in minutes played, and ninth in free-throw percentage. He has scored in double figures 24 times this year and has four double-doubles in points and assists. Nicholson is now a two-time All-MIAA selection after earned second team and MIAA Freshman of the Year honors last year.
Cooper, the conference’s player of the year, averages 16.6 points and 4.2 assists per game, helping Northwest Missouri to a share of the conference regular season title. Gibbs of Central Oklahoma posted 18 double-doubles in the regular season, averaging 20.7 points and 11.3 rebounds per game. Addison of Missouri Southern averaged 16.7 points and 4.0 rebounds per game in the regular season. Deck averaged 13.7 points and 5.1 rebounds per game in the regular season, helping Central Missouri tie for the conference regular season crown.
Brunson, a senior from Queens, N.Y., is now a two-time All-MIAA selection for FHSU. He earned second-team honors this year by averaging 16.7 points and 7.9 rebounds per game in the regular season. Brunson was a first-team selection last year. He ranks ninth in MIAA in scoring, third in rebounding, second in free-throw percentage, second in field goals made, eighth in field goal percentage, third in blocks per game, fifth in offensive rebounds, and fourth in defensive rebounds. Brunson has eight double-doubles in points and rebounds this year. He scored in double figures 23 times in the regular season.
Konrade, a senior from Spearville, Kan., earns an honorable mention nod after averaging 13.1 points in the regular season. Konrade was the top 3-point shooter in the MIAA during the regular season at a 50 percent clip, hitting 78-of-156 attempts. He currently ranks second NCAA Division II in 3-point field goal percentage. He is shooting 54.5 percent from the field overall and 83.7 percent at the free-throw line. He scored in double figures 19 times in the regular season.
Below is the entire All-MIAA Team for 2014…
Player of the Year
DeShaun Cooper, Sr., G, NWMSU
Defensive Player of the Year
Paul Bunch, Sr., C, ESU
Freshman of the Year
Zach Schneider, Fr., F, NWMSU
Coach of the Year
Robert Corn, Missouri Southern
All-MIAA First Team
DeShaun Cooper, Sr., G, NWMSU**
Craig Nicholson, So., G, FHSU**
Josh Gibbs, Sr., F, UCO [r1]
Marquis Addison, Sr., G, MSSU
Dillon Deck, Jr., F/C, UCM
**Unanimous Selection
[r1] Repeat First Team Selection
All-MIAA Second Team
Bryton Hobbs, Sr., G, NSU
Dillon Starzl, Sr., C, NWMSU
Alex North, Jr., F, WU
Kaleb Wright, Sr., G, ESU
Dwayne Brunson, Sr., F, FHSU
All-MIAA Third Team
Devon Branch, Jr., G, PSU
Mike Dentlinger, Sr., C, UNK
Jordan Talbert, Sr., F, MSSU
Daylen Robinson, Sr., G, UCM
Connor Beranek, So., F, UNK
All-Defensive Team
Paul Bunch, Sr., C, ESU
Bryston Williams, Sr., G, NWMSU
Jordan Talbert, Sr., F, MSSU
Terrence Moore, So., G, ESU
Slim Magee, Sr., C, MSSU
Honorable Mention All-MIAA
Charles Hammork, Sr., G/F, UCM
Aaron Anderson, So., G, UCO
Paul Bunch, Sr., C, ESU
Terrence Moore, So., G, ESU
Carson Konrade, Sr., G, FHSU
Josh Buie, Jr., G, LU
Mike Smith, Jr., G, LU
Tyler Ressel, Sr., G, LWU
Darris Smith, Jr., G, LWU
Ethan Brozek, So., F, UNK
Conner Crooker, So, G, NWMSU
Bryston Williams, Sr., G, NWMSU
Slim Magee, Sr., C, MSSU
Ryan Devers, Jr., G, MWSU
DJ Barmore, Jr., F, SBU
Kyle Wiggins, Jr., G, WU