Senior: Rocky Kreuser has consistently been one of the best seniors in 
the Summit League this season, and this weekend was no exception. This was especially true in the second game as the senior big man put up monster numbers in a tough overtime loss to rival North Dakota. Kreuser put up 32 points and 10 rebounds in game two and NDSU needed every one of those points to push overtime. In-game 1 Kreuser had a more pedestrian 11 points and 6 rebounds but that came in a game where the Bison cruised to victory.
Past winners
Week 1 Matt Pile, Omaha
Week 2 Stanley Umude, South Dakota
Week 3 Will Carius, Western Illinois
Week 4 Rocky Kreuser, North Dakota State
Week 5 Stanley Umude, South Dakota
Week 6 Rocky Kreuser, North Dakota State
Junior: Jase Townsend had a rough couple of games in Vermillion of a couple of weeks ago. This weekend was a much different story. The Denver Junior scored 27 and 35 points over the weekend. That’s good enough to give Jace this week’s Summit Junior of the Week award. Townsend helped the Pioneers stay competitive in two tight losses to ORU. If DU wants to win, they will absolutely need Townsend to continue to fill the stat sheet. Denver’s next test is a big one, the Bison in Fargo.
Week 1 Kevin Obanor, Oral Roberts
Week 2 Alex Arians, South Dakota State
Week 3 Wanyang Tut, Omaha
Week 4 Kevin Obanor, Oral Roberts
Week 5 Kevin Obanor, Oral Roberts
Week 6 Kevin Obanor, Oral Roberts
Sophomore: Max Abmas; Oral Roberts. The Golden Eagles picked up a big sweep over Denver, knocking off the Pioneers twice in the Mile High City. Abmas was a big reason why Oral Roberts scored a pair of wins. In the first game on Friday, the sophomore finished with 34 points in the 88-84 ORU victory. Abmas added five rebounds and five assists. On Saturday, Abmas was not as efficient at scoring the ball but still had a good game in Oral Roberts’ 91-82 win. Abmas scored 14 points and added team-highs in rebounds (six) and assists (three). ORU improved to 5-1 in Summit play with the sweeps.
Past Winners
Week 1 Max Abmas, Oral Roberts
Week 2 Baylor Scheierman, South Dakota State
Week 3 Max Abmas, Oral Roberts
Week 4 Jarius Cook, North Dakota State
Week 5 A.J. Plitzuweit, South Dakota
Week 6 A.J. Plitzuweit, South Dakota
Freshmen: Sam Hines Jr.; Denver. Hines is quietly making a pitch for Summit League newcomer of the year. Not surprising his season started out slowly but Hines minutes continue to grow as does his confidence and the numbers show it. Hines posted a pair of double-doubles in close home losses to Oral Roberts and punished the Golden Eagles down low all weekend. In game 1 Hines posted 14 points and 10 rebounds and finished with 16 points and 10 rebounds in game 2. Denver has needed an inside presence since the injury to sophomore big man Robert Jones and Hines has filled the void.
Past Winners
Week 1 Tyree Ihenacho, North Dakota
Week 2 Tyree Ihenacho, North Dakota
Week 3 Sam Hines, Denver
Week 4 Grant Nelson, North Dakota State
Week 5 La’Mel Robinson, Omaha
Week 6 Grant Nelson, North Dakota State
Bench Player: Finding a consistent bench player two nights in a row of Summit League play is tricky because in many cases if you play well off the bench the first night, you are in the starting lineup the second one. This is at least what seems to happen when it is my turn to choose the Reaching the Summit Podcast Bench Player of the Week. So with that, I am selecting two men’s players for last weekend’s play. 
Denver’s Eric Moenkhaus is the first player selected for his bench play Friday night vs ORU. The 6’3 Greenwood Indiana native logged 29 minutes off the bench and scored 12 points, added 4 boards and an assist. He was rewarded with a starting gig on Saturday night. On the flip side of things, sometimes a starter just doesn’t pull his weight on Friday night and is relegated to come off the bench the next day. This is what happened to North Dakota Jr Mitchell Sueker last weekend. Sueker came off the bench to score 22 points in the big OT win over NDSU. 20 of them were in the second half when the big minutes were played. Suecker was 7/10 FG’s & 7/10 at the line, he added 4 rebounds and did not turn the ball over in 23 minutes. His best game to date as a Hawk.
Past Winners
Week 1 Marlon Ruffin, Omaha
Week 2 Sam Hines, Denver
Week 3 Gertautas Urbonavicius, North Dakota
Week 4 Gertautas Urbonavicius, North Dakota
Week 5 Mitchell Sueker, North Dakota
Week 6 Adam Anhold, Western Illinois
Defense: North Dakota State held North Dakota to 45 points on Friday and 82 points on Sunday. The Bison limited UND to just 16 first-half points in Friday’s 62-45 win and held the Fighting Hawks to 29.4 percent from beyond the arc. Saturday’s game was much more high scoring but Dave Richman’s crew held UND to 67 points in regulation before getting outscored 15-11 in overtime. The Bison forced 21 turnovers in those two games and held UND’s top 3-point threat (Ethan Igbanugo) to 4-fo-13 beyond the arc.
Past winners
Week 1 North Dakota State
Week 2 North Dakota
Week 3 Western Illinois
Week 4 Denver
Week 5 Kansas City
Week 6 Kansas City