Oakland's Benson Named Player of the Year, Defensive Player of the Year
Oakland's Benson Named Player of the Year, Defensive Player of the Year
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SIOUX FALLS, S.D. - For the second consecutive season,
Oakland's Keith Benson was selected as The Summit
League Men's Basketball Player of the Year in a vote of the
league's 10 head coaches, sports information directors and select
media members as announced Thursday. The senior also was named as
Defensive Player of the Year, becoming the first player in league
history to receive both honors in the same season.
Oral Roberts' Steven Roundtree earned the league's
Newcomer of the Year award while Oakland's Larry
Wright was named Sixth Man of the Year and Greg
Kampe was named Coach of the Year.
Oakland's four accolades were the most won by a single team in
Summit League history and the only time since the present award
structure was created in 2002-03 that the same team has claimed the
Player of the Year, Defensive Player of the Year and Sixth Man of
the Year.
Benson is the first repeat winner of the Player of the Year award
since Oral Roberts' Caleb Green claimed three straight awards from
2005-07. The center, who is the first Summit Leaguer to record
career totals of 1,000 points, 1,000 rebounds and 300 blocks, leads
the league in blocked shots (4.4 bpg), ranks second in rebounding
(182/10.1 rpg), fifth in scoring (18.7 ppg) and seventh in field
goal percentage (.567). Benson recorded a league-best 11
double-doubles and had nine 20-point games in league play. He
currently ranks among the top-five nationally in blocks per game
(second with 3.8 for all games) and double-doubles (fifth with 18
total).
Roundtree earned the Newcomer of the Year award as a freshman after
leading all newcomers in league scoring (13.2 ppg) and finishing
fourth in the league in field goal percentage (.599) and fifth in
rebounding (7.1 rpg).
Wright garnered Sixth Man of the Year honors after coming off the
bench for Oakland in 12-of-17 league games played and averaging 9.1
points per game and ranking ninth in assists per game (2.7).
Kampe earned his fourth career Coach of the Year award and became
the first coach to earn consecutive awards since Valparaiso's Homer
Drew collected three straight from 1994-96. During the year, Kampe
guided his team to a new record for consecutive Summit League
victories (20) and a second-straight regular season championship
and top tournament seed. Along the way, the Golden Grizzlies
matched their own Summit records for league wins (17) and winning
percentage (.944).
Joining Benson as first team All-Summit selections are OU teammate
Reggie Hamilton (18.5 ppg, league-best 6.3 apg),
IUPUI's duo of Leroy Nobles (19.6 pgg) and
Alex Young (20.8 ppg, 6.5 rpg), Oral Roberts'
Dominique Morrison (league-high 20.9 ppg) and
South Dakota State's Nate Wolters (20.2 ppg, 6.0
apg).
Comprising the second team IPFW's Ben Botts (13.9
ppg), UMKC's Jay Couisnard (17.9 ppg, 5.8 rpg),
Oakland's Will Hudson (12.5 ppg, 6.7 rpg), along
with repeat honorees South Dakota State's Clint
Sargent (15.7 ppg)and North Dakota State's Michael
Tveidt (15.9).
Receiving honorable mention are Oral Roberts' Damen
Bell-Holter (13.8 ppg, 8.6 rpg) and Warren
Niles (14.4 ppg), IPFW's Frank Gaines
(15.2 ppg, 5.7 rpg), UMKC's Spencer Johnson (13.9
ppg, 10.2 rpg) and Western Illinois' Matt Lander
(17.4 ppg).
In addition to Roundtree, the all-newcomer team includes Oakland's
Travis Bader (11.8 ppg, league-best 3.2 3FG/gm),
UMKC's Reggie Chamberlain (12.4 ppg), South Dakota
State's Jordan Dykstra (12.7 ppg) and IUPUI's
Stephen Thomas (11.5 ppg).
The Summit League Tournament begins March 5 at the Sioux Falls
Arena in Sioux Falls, S.D., and culminates with the title game on
Tuesday, March 8 on ESPN2 at 8 p.m. (CT).
2011 Summit League Men's Basketball
Awards
FIRST TEAM
Name, School, Pos., Yr., Hometown
Keith Benson, Oakland, C, Sr., Farmington Hills, Mich.
Reggie Hamilton, Oakland, G, Jr., Harvey, Ill.
Leroy Nobles, IUPUI, G/F, Sr., Louisville, Ky.
Dominique Morrison, Oral Roberts, F, Jr., Kansas City, Mo.
Nate Wolters, South Dakota State, G, So., St. Cloud, Minn.
Alex Young, IUPUI, F, Jr., Indianapolis, Ind.
SECOND TEAM
Ben Botts, IPFW, G, Sr., Muncie, Ind.
Jay Couisnard, UMKC, F, Sr., Houston, Texas
Will Hudson, Oakland, F, Sr., Madison, Wis.
Clint Sargent, South Dakota State, G, Sr., South Sioux City,
Neb.
Michael Tveidt, North Dakota State F Sr. Pierre, S.D.
HONORABLE MENTION
Damen Bell-Holter, Oral Roberts, F/C, So., Hydaburg, Alaska
Frank Gaines, IPFW, G, So., Fort Lauderdale, Fla.
Spencer Johnson, UMKC, F, Sr., Champaign, Ill.
Matt Lander, Western Illinois, G, Sr., Evansville, Ind.
Warren Niles, Oral Roberts, G, So., Cincinnati, Ohio
ALL-NEWCOMER
Travis Bader, Oakland, G, Fr., Okemos, Mich.
Reggie Chamberlain, UMKC, G, Jr., Kansas City, Mo.
Jordan Dykstra, South Dakota State, F, Fr., Rock Valley, Iowa
Steven Roundtree, Oral Roberts, F, Fr., Jacksonville, Fla.
Stephen Thomas, IUPUI, G, Jr., Indianapolis, Ind.
PLAYER OF THE YEAR
Keith Benson, Oakland
NEWCOMER OF THE YEAR
Steven Roundtree, Oral Roberts
SIXTH MAN OF THE YEAR
Larry Wright, Oakland
DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE YEAR
Keith Benson, Oakland
COACH OF THE YEAR
Greg Kampe, Oakland
-SUMMIT-
