As voters go to the polls this week, here is one man’s opinion on where they should land
Player of the Year
Marquel Sutton
Omaha
Photo by Jaelle Johnson
It’s an incredibly tight 3 man race for Player of the Year. All 3 candidates with a good argument, and an argument I can respect. Sutton is the leader of a program-changing team. A player who is a 3-year starter at Omaha and a name Summit League fans will remember. In addition to that the numbers stack up. Sutton averaged 21.4 points and 7.9 rebounds in league play. Sutton picked up his play in league play and led the resurgence of the Summit League’s top team. While I think all 3 players are worthy of Player of the Year the intangibles go to Sutton.
All-Summit 1st Team
- Oscar Cluff South Dakota State: The most dominant player in the Summit, an everyday double-double.
- Jacksen Moni North Dakota State: League’s leading scorer and 3rd in assists, another matchup nightmare.
- JJ White Omaha: The Robin to Sutton’s Batman. The top assist man and his uptick in play coincided with the Omaha run.
- Issac McBride Oral Roberts: Leading point man in league play. 22.4 points per game. The tip of the cap to the career.
- Drake Dobbs: There needs to be a St. Thomas Player on the 1st team. Dobbs is the most impactful.
All-Summit 2nd Team
- Miles Barnstable St. Thomas
- Chase Forte South Dakota
- Jamar Brown Kansas City
- Treysen Eaglestaff North Dakota
- Jacari White North Dakota State
Honorable Mention
- DeAndre Craig Denver
- Tony Osburn Omaha
- Kendall Blue St. Thomas
- Mier Panoam North Dakota
- Isaac Bruns South Dakota
Defensive Player of the Year
Chase Forte
South Dakota
Photo by Adam Pearson
This is a very difficult pick for defensive player of the year. Forte’s argument is based on statistics with some impact, while Drake Dobbs’s argument is very different but also fair. Dobbs shows you the eye test but the statistics aren’t there. Ultimately the eye test is there for Forte too, so went with Forte. Forte was the league leader in steals and consistently shut down opposing guards. Looking forward to hearing the arguments on this one.
All-Defensive Team
- Drake Dobbs St. Thomas: Need to shut down a guard, put Dobbs on him
- Nolan Minessale St Thomas: Leader in blocks, 4th in steals.
- Oscar Cluff South Dakota State: Tough to get by in the post and an offensive rebounding machine
- Quandre Bullock South Dakota: Along with Forte makes sure opponents feel the Coyotes press
- Adbulai Fanta Kabba: Tied for league lead in blocked shots in league play
Newcomer of the Year
Oscar Cluff
South Dakota State
Photo By Evan Patzwald
This one was relatively easy even though Jacksen Moni puts up a solid argument. No newcomer had the impact Cluff did. The big man took the league by storm. One of the league’s best scorers, the top rebounder, and 3rd in assists. It’s a bit up in the air with recent JUCO eligibility in the courts, but if this was Cluff’s only season in Brookings, it was special.
All-Newcomer
- Jacksen Moni North Dakota State
- Chase Forte South Dakota
- Miles Barnstable St. Thomas
- Sebastian Akins Denver
- Nolan Minessale St. Thomas
6th Man of the Year
Lance Waddles
Omaha
Photo By Mary Pritchard
Waddles provides the lift you look for in a 6th man. It was an instant lift to his team. Several times this season Waddles came off the bench and gave Omaha an immediate spark. Waddles is the Summit League version of the microwave, instant offense.
Freshman of the Year
Sebastian Akins
Denver
Photo By Denver Athletics
Nolan Minessale and Akins were the battle for this award and both deserve it. A quick note on why Minessale did. Minessale did so both on the offensive and defensive ends. Given Minessale was on my all defense that’s my not to him there. A great all-around season for Minessale. Nod went to Akins because of his ability to control the game. One of the best assist men in the league as freshmen. Akins also was third in the league in assist-to-turnover ratio which is so impressive as a freshman. Add in his scoring acumen, Akins ends the season as the highest-scoring freshman in Denver Program History.
Coach of the Year
Chris Crutchfield
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Omaha: This one eventually became a no-brainer, but we all agree on how deserving Johhny Tauer is. Crutchfield led the Mavericks to their first Summit League title and vastly exceeded expectations.