Men's Basketball

MIAC announces 2023-24 men’s basketball awards

BLOOMINGTON, Minn. – The Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (MIAC) announced its men's basketball awards for the 2023-24 season on Tuesday.
 
Carleton junior guard Luke Harris and Hamline junior forward Austin Holt were voted the MIAC Offensive and Defensive Players of the Year, respectively, while Carleton first-year forward Sam Koelling received MIAC Rookie of the Year honors, and Saint John's head coach Pat McKenzie was celebrated as the MIAC Coach of the Year.
 
Harris (Piedmont, Calif.) was named MIAC Offensive Player of the Year after leading all scorers with 378 points in conference contests in 2023-24. Harris reached double figures in 19 of his 20 MIAC games and was the only player in the conference to convert on more than 100 free throws in league play, knocking down 128 of his 163 attempts. Harris is the first Knight to win an individual men's basketball award since Kent Hanson received the since-retired Sixth Man of the Year honor in 2017. The last Knight to win a MIAC Player of the Year (Offensive, Defensive, or MVP) award in men's basketball was Gerrick Monroe in 1993.
 
Holt (Highlands Ranch, Colo. | Thunder Ridge) was selected MIAC Defensive Player of the Year after averaging 9.4 rebounds and 1.4 steals in conference games. Holt pulled down double-digit rebounds against nine conference opponents and had at least three steals in five conference games. Holt is the first Piper to receive an individual MIAC men's basketball postseason award since Carl Hipp was named MIAC Player of the Year in 2011.
 
Koelling (Ann Arbor, Mich. | Skyline) was a unanimous selection for MIAC Rookie of the Year after starting 19 conference games in his debut season for the MIAC runner-up Knights. Koelling was the only first-year player in the conference to average double figures in scoring with a mark of 10.4 in MIAC play. He ranked third among all players with a field goal percentage of 0.600 (81-for-135) on the year. He is the first Carleton men's basketball player to receive MIAC Rookie of the Year honors.
 
McKenzie (ninth season) was recognized by his peers with MIAC Coach of the Year honors after guiding the Johnnies to an 18-2 record in league play and the program's fourth regular season conference title in the last six full seasons. This is McKenzie's third MIAC Coach of the Year honor, having previously been recognized in 2018 and 2022.
 
In addition to the individual awards, 16 players were named All-Conference and five received honorable mention distinction. All awards were nominated by and voted on by the eleven MIAC head men's basketball coaches and only statistics from regular season MIAC contests were considered for conference honors; any nominated player not selected as All-Conference but still receiving votes from at least three coaches was named honorable mention.
 
Nine of the 16 All-Conference honorees were also selected in 2023. Three players - Bethel's Zach Doely, Macalester's Caleb Williams, and Saint John's Ryan Thissen - earned the third All-MIAC accolades of their careers, a feat achieved by just 62 men's basketball players in recorded MIAC history.
 
The MIAC also announced the annual All-Playoff Team for men's basketball, which recognized the top nine performers from the conference tournament, as selected by playoff-participant head coaches.