2005-06 Midwest Conference Men’s Basketball Performers of the Week

 

 

November 28, 2005

Chris Braier - Forward - Lawrence University

Senior - Wauwatosa, Wis./East

Braier led the Vikings to a 2-0 record last week,

including an 82-75 overtime victory over UW-Oshkosh,

the nation’s No. 2 team, on Tuesday.

Braier averaged 20 points and 10 rebounds in the

two contests while shooting 51.4 percent (18-35)

from the floor. Braier scored 20 points, grabbed

nine rebounds and had six assists in the upset of

Oshkosh. The 6-4 senior forward added 20 points, 11 rebounds and

seven assists in Lawrence’s 74-53 win over MSOE on Saturday.

Tuesday’s victory was Lawrence’s third straight over Oshkosh and

also marked the highest-ranked opponent the Vikings have ever

defeated.

 

 

 

December 5, 2005

Nathan Drury - Guard - Carroll College

Junior - Littleton, Col./Littleton

Drury paced the Pioneers to a 3-0 mark last week

that included a 75-65 win over #13 UW-Whitewater

and a pair of conference victories. Drury

started the week by netting a game-high 26 points

in the upset over Whitewater. The junior guard’s

stellar play continued into the weekend, as he

combined for 47 points, nine rebounds and eight

assists in MWC road victories over Knox (85-58) and Lake Forest

(76-71). Drury tallied 30 points and six rebounds against Knox,

including 7-12 shooting from three-point range, before closing out

the week with 17 points and five assists against Lake Forest. Drury

ranks second in the conference in scoring (22.0 ppg) and is also among

the league’s best in steals per game (2.00).

 

 

 

December 12, 2005

Chris Hebeler - Guard - Monmouth College

Senior - Fulton, Ill./Fulton

Hebeler put the Fighting Scots back on the winning

track against Aurora on Wednesday with

one of the best long-distance shooting displays in

school history. Hebeler poured in a career high 38

points during the 87-80 victory, including 12-17

shooting from three-point distance. Hebeler’s

dozen treys set a new single-game school record

for three-pointers made and paced the Scots to 20 three-pointers

total, a single-game team record. The senior guard made five

straight long balls on two separate occasions during the contest en

route to the highest point total in the MWC this season. Hebeler,

who only committed one turnover in 33 minutes of action, also

added four rebounds, three assists and one steal in the contest. His

performance ranked 8th all-time on the Scots honor roll for points

in a game.

 

 

 

January 3, 2006

Chris Braier - Forward - Lawrence University

Senior - Wauwatosa, Wis./East

Braier averaged 17.5 points and 10.5 rebounds at

the Surf City Classic in Costa Mesa Calif., leading

Lawrence to a 2-0 mark in tourney action. Braier

scored 16 points and grabbed eight rebounds in

17 minutes of action in the Vikings 92-39 win

over Goucher on Thursday. The senior forward

followed that performance with 19 tallies and 13

boards in a 64-59 win over NAIA DI tourney host Vanguard. Braier

now has 1,289 points for his career and moved past Adam LaVoy

(1,273) for third place on Lawrence’s career scoring list in the win

over Vanguard. Braier is being honored with Player of the Week

accolades for the second time this season.

 

 

 

January 10, 2006

Keven Bradley - Guard - Lawrence University

Senior - Omro, Wis./Omro

Bradley broke his previous career-high and nearly

doubled his season scoring average (12.0 ppg)

in the final 7:52 of the Vikings 83-75 conference

victory over Ripon on Saturday. Bradley closed

the game by scoring the Vikings last 20 points

en route to a career-high 33 tallies. The senior

guard was a perfect 8-8 shooting from the field,

including 5-5 from three-point range and 12-15 from the free

throw line. He also added two rebounds, an assist and a steal, while

only committing one turnover in 28 minutes of action. Bradley’s

performance shattered his previous career-high (19) for scoring and

helped No. 6 Lawrence improve to 9-0 overall and 3-0 in MWC

action this season.

 

 

 

January 17, 2006

John Grotberg - Guard - Grinnell College

Freshman - Ann Arbor, Mich./Pioneer

Grotberg continued to score at a torrid pace

on the road last week, averaging 36 points per

game as the Pioneers won two of three games in

conference action. Grotberg started his week by

scoring 12 points in overtime, capping a career-high

45-point performance, to lead the Pioneers

to a 128-125 victory over Monmouth. Grotberg

then posted point totals of 31 and 32 points, respectively, in a loss

to unbeaten Lawrence (125-110) and a victory over St. Norbert

(115-12). The freshman guard also averaged 3.7 rebounds, 2.7

assists and 2.3 steals for the Pioneers last week. Grotberg entered

the week ranked third in Division III in scoring and has been

Grinnell’s high-scorer in 11 of its 12 games this season.

 

 

 

January 24, 2006

Jason Maclin - Forward - Knox College

Junior - Chicago, Ill./Kenwood Academy

Maclin guided Knox to a 2-0 record on the road

last week and has helped the Prairie Fire to

victories in five of their last six contests. Maclin

started off his week with 27 points, including

a clutch three-pointer in overtime, and eight

rebounds during an 80-79 OT victory over rival

Monmouth. The 6-5 forward added 23 points,

four boards and two assists in a 76-63 win at Illinois

College on Saturday. Maclin currently ranks second in the

MWC in scoring (20.3 ppg) and fourth in three-point percentage

(.449%). The Prairie Fire have won three straight, including four

of five on the road, to take over fourth place in the MWC.

 

 

 

January 30, 2006

Josh Hinz - Forward - Beloit College

Senior - Fort Atkinson, Wis./Fort Atkinson

Hinz became Beloit’s all-time leading scorer and

rebounder last week, as he led the Bucs back into

the thick of the MWC tourney race with three

straight victories. Hinz netted 23 points and 10

rebounds in Tuesday’s 63-58 victory over St.

Norbert, 29 points and 10 boards in a 60-57 win

Friday at Lake Forest and 27 tallies in a 73-69 triumph

at Knox on Saturday. Hinz has now scored

1,776 career points and pulled down 737 career rebounds. His

point total surpasses 1951 graduate and 1952 U.S. Olympian Ron

Bontemps (1,770 points), whose scoring record stood for 55 years,

while his rebounding mark betters 2002 grad Henry Grant (733).

The 6-6 senior forward, who was a D3hoops.com All-American

last season, tied the rebounding record Friday at Lake Forest, and

set both records Saturday at Knox.

 

 

 

February 6, 2006

Josh Hinz - Forward - Beloit College

Senior - Fort Atkinson, Wis./Fort Atkinson

Hinz tied an NCAA Division III national record

and broke two Beloit records in Saturday’s

120-112 victory over Grinnell that kept the Bucs

MWC tourney hopes alive. Hinz grabbed 36

rebounds in the contest, tying the NCAA DIII

single-game record and shattering the Beloit

record by 16 boards. The 6-6 senior also scored a

Flood Arena record 50 points in the game, shooting

18-27 from the field and 14-19 from the free throw line. The

2004-05 D3hoops.com All-American tallied game-highs in points

(16) and rebounds (8) in the Bucs 62-60 loss to Monmouth on

Friday. Hinz, who became Beloit’s all-time leader in scoring and

rebounding last week, is the MWC Performer of the Week for the

second consecutive week.

 

 

 

February 13, 2006

Brian Schmitting - Center - Ripon College

Junior - Hilbert, Wis./Hilbert

The Red Hawks dropped contests to St. Norbert

(73-64) and No. 22 Carroll (94-87) last week, but

Schmitting continued to display the efficiency

that has made him the NCAA Division III leader

in field-goal percentage for the past five weeks.

Schmitting was a perfect 16-16 from the floor

in the two contests, going 8-8 in each game.

The 6-6 junior center tallied 20 points and eight

rebounds against the Green Knights, before posting 19 points and

eight boards against the Pioneers. Schmitting, who ranks 10th in

the MWC scoring (14.4 ppg) and fifth in rebounding (7.7), has

watched his field-goal percentage rise to 75.3 percent after last

week’s performances. No player at any level of NCAA men’s

basketball is shooting at a higher percentage this season.

 

 

 

February 20, 2006

Franklyn Beckford - Forward - Lake Forest College

Senior - Jacksonville, Ill./Jacksonville

Beckford scored 33 points in Lake Forest’s 110-

93 victory over Grinnell on Saturday. He shot

14-15 from the floor in the contest with his only

miss coming on the first and only three-point

field goal attempt of his career. By connecting on

each of his first 14 shots, the 6-4 senior forward

established a new NCAA record with 26 consecutive

field goals made in a season. His streak

also included his final six shot attempts against Illinois College on

Feb. 8 (23 points) and his 6-6 shooting performance at Monmouth

on Feb. 11 (13 points). Beckford also set school records for fi eld

goal percentage in a season (.674) and career (.633).