The Northwest Missouri State University men’s basketball team captured three of the four specialty awards from the All-Mid-American Intercollegiate Athletic Association and had four players earn all-league honors as announced by the MIAA office today.

Trevor Hudgins (Player of the Year, First Team All-MIAA), Ryan Hawkins (Defensive Player of the Year, All-Defensive Team, First Team All-MIAA) and Ben McCollum (Coach of the Year) claimed the MIAA’s specialty awards, while Diego Bernard (Third Team All-MIAA, All-Defensive Team) and Ryan Welty (Honorable Mention) also garnered accolades.

For the fifth straight season the MIAA Player of the Year resides in Maryville. Sophomore guard Trevor Hudgins (Manhattan, Kansas) took home the league’s top honor after averaging 19.6 points per game and shooting 51.8 percent from the field. Hudgins is a four-time MIAA men’s basketball athlete of the week honoree in 2019-20. Hudgins leads the nation in three-point field goal percentage (52.7%). He ranks No. 3 among NCAA Division II players in assist-to-turnover ratio (3.72). Hudgins is tops in the MIAA in assists (175 – 6.0 per game). Hudgins has three 30-plus point scoring contests and 17 20-plus point scoring games in 2019-20. He posted a career-high 36 points in a 96-49 win over Lincoln on Feb. 8.

Hawkins (Atlantic, Iowa) repeats as MIAA Defensive Player of Year and earned first team all-MIAA honors for the first time. Hawkins leads the Bearcats in scoring (22.8 ppg), rebounds (7.6 rpg), steals (2.1 spg) and blocked shots (0.7 bpg). Hawkins leads the MIAA in steals (65), ranks fifth in rebounding and fifth in minutes played per game. Hawkins is one of three MIAA players (Lincoln’s Jonell Burton, Missouri Western’s Will Eames) with at least 20 steals, 20 blocks, 20 assists and 20 three-pointers made. Hawkins is shooting 55.5% from the field and 45.0% from three-point range. Hawkins leads the Hawkins has collected eight double-doubles this season. Hawkins has reached 30 or more points on four occasions and he has posted 18 20-plus point scoring contests in 2019-20. Hawkins set the Northwest single-game scoring record with 44 points vs. Southern Nazarene on Nov. 2, 2019. Hawkins is a four-time MIAA athlete of the week award recipient.

IOWA CITY, Iowa — University of Iowa standout Luka Garza is one of 10 semifinalists for the Naismith Trophy, which is presented annually to the most outstanding player who achieves tremendous on-court success, it was announced Thursday by the Atlanta Tipoff Club.

Garza (6-foot-11, 260 pounds) ranks first nationally with 12 20-point/10-rebound performances and field goals made (275), second in 20-point games (24), third in points per 40 minutes played (29.9), fifth in scoring (23.7), ninth in 30-point games (5), 17th in double-doubles (15) and offensive rebounds per game (3.7), and 33rd in rebounding (9.9). His 15 double-doubles are third most in a single-season by a Hawkeye in three decades and the most since 2002 (Reggie Evans, 18). Garza is one of two players in the country, and only player from a major conference, to average better than 23 points and nine rebounds per game.

Garza, who has led the Big Ten in scoring since November, surpassed 700 points on March 3 to break the Iowa’s 50-year old single-season scoring record. He has scored 20 points or more in a school-record 15 straight Big Ten games, the longest streak by any player in the Big Ten since Purdue’s Glenn Robinson (15 in 1994).

Garza has scored 25 points or more 12 times this season, including the last two contests (Penn State and Purdue). He has controlled 12 or more rebounds 10 times this season, a total that ties for 14th best in the NCAA. The native of Washington, D.C., is the only Big Ten player to register seven 25-point/10-rebound performances in the same season in more than 17 years.

Garza, who is seeking to become Iowa’s first Big Ten MVP since Sam Williams in 1968, has been a force with his back to the basket in the post and facing defenders on the perimeter. He has produced the two highest point totals in a game by a Big Ten player this season (44 at Michigan; 38 at Indiana). Garza is one of two centers in the nation shooting 35 percent or better from 3-point range (min. 100 attempts).

Finalists for the trophy will be revealed on March 17, while the winner will be announced April 5, at the Naismith Awards Brunch in Atlanta.

No. 18 Iowa (20-10, 11-8) will play its regular season finale at No. 23 Illinois (20-9, 12-6) on Sunday in Champaign, Illinois. The game will be televised nationally on BTN.

Naismith Trophy Semifinalists

Udoka Azubuike               Sr.           C             Kansas
Vernon Carey                    Fr.           C             Duke
Devon Dotson                  So.          G             Kansas
Malachi Flynn                    Jr.           G             San Diego State
Luka Garza                        Jr.           C             Iowa
Markus Howard                Sr.           G             Marquette
Myles Powell                     Sr.           G             Seton Hall
Payton Pritchard               Sr.           G             Oregon
Jalen Smith                       So.          F              Maryland
Obi Toppin                        So.          F              Dayton

The Class 3A Boys State Basketball Tournament bracket and pairings have been set by the IHSAA. The full tournament schedule is now in place for next week. Check out the 3A pairings below and follow the links for the bracket in each class.

Class 3A Quarterfinals (Tuesday, March 10th)

#1 Norwalk (21-3) vs. #8 Harlan (18-6) 11:15 a.m.
#4 Center Point-Urbana (18-6) vs. #5 Ballard (18-6) 1:00 p.m.
#2 Mount Vernon (22-2) vs. #7 Clear Creek-Amana (19-5) 2:45 p.m.
#3 Pella (19-5) vs. #6 Sergeant Bluff-Luton (14-10) 4:30 p.m.