Bellarmine, Lewis, UW-Parkside Garner GLVC Men’s Basketball Honors

3/4/2015 11:00:00 AM

Jeff Smith, Assistant Commissioner

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INDIANAPOLIS – Bellarmine University senior forward Jake Thelen has been named the 2014-15 Great Lakes Valley Conference men’s basketball Player of the Year, it was announced by the conference office on Wednesday.  Lewis University guard/forward Max Strus was recognized as Freshman of the Year, while University of Wisconsin-Parkside’s Luke Reigel was tabbed by his peers as Coach of the Year.  In addition, 20 student-athletes were honored as All-Conference honorees, while 10 representatives were named to the conference’s All-Defensive Team.
 
Thelen finished the regular season tied for fourth in the league with 17.9 points per game while his 10.7 rebounds ranked first, leaving him the only conference standout to average a double-double this season.  The first-team All-GLVC selection has made 198 of his 225 field goal attempts to rank second in the GLVC with a .671 field goal percentage, and is coming off a regular season finale in which he shot .706 percent from the floor en route to GLVC Player of the Week honors.  The Edgewood, Kentucky, native earned three weekly accolades this year.  Thelen is the sixth Knight to earn the conference’s top award and the first since Jeremy Kendle and Braydon Hobbs went back-to-back in 2011 and 2012, respectively.
Strus was the lone freshman among the league’s top 30 scorers this season, ranking 22nd at 13.2 points per game.  He finished 14th overall with a .787 free throw percentage, while shooting at a .539 percent clip to place 15th.  The Hickory Hills, Illinois, native, who was also named to the All-GLVC Second Team, is the fourth Flyer to win the league’s newcomer award and the first since Ryan Jackson was recognized back in 2011-12. 
 
Reigel earns GLVC Coach of the Year for the second time in his career, with the first coming two years ago during the 2012-13 season.  His Rangers shared the GLVC East Division crown with Bellarmine and are currently ranked No. 8 in the Division II coaches poll at 25-2 overall and 17-1 in conference play.  Reigel had a trio of Rangers earn All-Conference recognition, including first-teamers Jimmy Gavin and Zygimantas Riauka, who also landed a spot on the All-Defensive Team.  Andy Mazurczak was one of 10 second-team All-GLVC selections.

Two GLVC standouts – Drury junior guard Kameron Bundy and Indianapolis senior forward/center Joe Lawson – were unanimous first-team selections.  In addition to the aforementioned players, five other GLVC standouts were named as first-team All-GLVC, which was divided equally to include five members from both the East and West Divisions.  Ten members were also named All-GLVC second-team list as well as the All-Defensive team.

A complete list of the 2014-15 GLVC All-Conference teams and postseason honors follows.

2015 GLVC Player of the Year:  Jake Thelen, Sr., Bellarmine 2015 GLVC Freshman of the Year:  Max Strus, G/F, Lewis 2015 GLVC Coach of the Year:  Luke Reigel, UW-Parkside

First-Team All-Conference Jake Thelen, Sr., F, BU Chris Whitehead, Sr., G, BU Cameron Adams, Sr., F, DU KAMERON BUNDY, Jr., G, DU JOE LAWSON, Sr., F/C, UINDY Aareon Smith, Sr., F, UMSL Seth Jackson, Sr., F/G, TSU Reed Mells, Sr., PG, TSU Jimmy Gavin, Jr., G, UWP Zygimantas Riauka, Sr., F, UWP All CAPS are Unanimous selections

Second-Team All-Conference Brennan McElroy, Sr., G/F, UINDY Ryan Jackson, Sr., G, LEWIS Max Strus, Fr., G/F, LEWIS Trae Pemberton, Sr., G, MU Armon Provo, Sr., G, MU Tylor Wimbish, Sr., F, UMSL Evan McGaughey, So., F/C, QU Cameron Vines, Sr., G, SJC Andy Mazurczak, Jr., PG, UWP D’Vante Mosby, So., F, WJC

All-Defensive Team Jake Thelen, Sr., F, BU Drake Patterson, Sr., G, DU Brennan McElroy, Sr., G/F, UINDY Dai-Jon Parker, Sr., G, UINDY Julian Lewis, Sr., F, LEWIS Dalton Hoover, Jr., F/C, QU Reed Mells, Sr., PG, TSU Cory Myers, So., G/PG, TSU Zygimantas Riauka, Sr., F, UWP