By FHSU SPORTS INFORMATION
KANSAS CITY, Mo. – Fort Hays State Men’s Basketball had three players named to the All-MIAA Men’s Basketball Team on Tuesday (Feb. 28). Kaleb Hammeke was a first-team selection, while Elijah Nnanabu and Bjarni Jonssonwere honorable mention picks. Jonsson was also named to the All-Defensive Team for a second-straight year.
Hammeke is now a three-time All-MIAA selection. He has elevated in selection each year, going from an honorable mention pick in 2020-21 to second team in 2021-22, and now first team in 2022-23. He was also the MIAA Freshman of the Year back in 2020-21. Hammeke is averaging 16.6 points and 3.6 assists per game through 28 contests this season. At the end of the regular season, he ranked sixth in the MIAA in points per game, fifth in assists per game, and 10th in steals per game, while leading the conference in minutes per game (36.4). He also ranked fifth in the MIAA in free-throw percentage with an 81.5 percent success rate. Hammeke scored in double figures in 25 of 28 regular season games and reached 20 or more points seven times and at least 30 points twice. This season, he became the 24th player in FHSU Men’s Basketball history to score 1,000 points in a career for the Black and Gold and just the fourth player in program history to have both 1,000 points and 300 assists in a career.
Nnanabu picked up his first All-MIAA selection in just his second year on the floor at FHSU. He ranks second in scoring and assists for FHSU, averaging 10.2 points and 1.8 assists per game. He reached double figures in scoring 14 times during the regular season, including a career-high 19 points four times. He enters the MIAA Tournament with exactly 400 points in his career.
Jonsson was an All-Defensive Team selection for the second straight year, but picked up his first honor on the All-MIAA Team with an honorable mention nod this season. He has elevated his offensive production this season, scoring 8.3 points per game for the Tigers during the regular season and reaching double figures in scoring 12 times. He has turned into one of FHSU’s top 3-point shooting threats with 36 makes beyond the arc this year, leading the team with a 46.8 percentage from long range. He headlines one of the top defensive teams in NCAA Division II, helping the Tigers to the third-lowest scoring defense, allowing just 57.4 points per game, and the ninth-lowest opponent field goal percentage at 39.7.
Below is the 2022-23 All-MIAA Men’s Basketball Team.
2022-23 MIAA Postseason Basketball Awards
Player of the Year – Diego Bernard – Northwest Missouri, Senior
Defensive Player of the Year – Diego Bernard – Northwest Missouri, Senior
Freshman of the Year – Bennett Stirtz – Northwest Missouri
Coach of the Year – Ben McCollum – Northwest Missouri
2023 All-MIAA First Team
Jaden Wells – Central Oklahoma, Sophomore
Owen Long – Emporia State, Junior
Kaleb Hammeke – Fort Hays State, Sophomore
Artese Stapleton – Lincoln, Senior
Diego Bernard – Northwest Missouri, Senior
2023 All-MIAA Second Team
Curtis Haywood – Central Oklahoma, Senior
Camryn Givens – Central Oklahoma, Senior
Kevin Kone – Lincoln, Senior
Bennett Stirtz – Northwest Missouri, Freshman
Wes Dreamer – Northwest Missouri, Junior
2023 All-MIAA Third Team
Alijah Comithier – Emporia State, Junior
Christian Cook – Northeastern State, Sophomore
Chris Whitaker – Rogers State, Senior
Joey Saracco – Rogers State, Senior
Andrew Orr – Washburn, Sophomore
2023 All-MIAA Honorable Mention
Central Missouri: Gaven Pinkley, Senior
Emporia State: Kaden Evans, Sophomore
Fort Hays State: Elijah Nnanabu, Sophomore – Bjarni Jonsson, Junior
Lincoln: Sevon Witt, Senior
Missouri Southern: Vinson Sigmon Jr., Junior – Winston Dessesow, Junior – Avery Taggart, Sophomore – Christian Bundy, Senior
Missouri Western: Will Eames, Senior – Julius Dixon, Sophomore – Taye Fields, Sophomore
Nebraska Kearney: Darrian Nebeker, Senior
Newman: Stevie Strong, Sophomore
Northeastern State: Dillon Bailey, Sophomore – Rashad Perkins, Senior
Pittsburg State: Deshaun English II, Junior
Rogers State: Sherwyn Devonish-Prince, Senior
2023 MIAA All-Defensive Team
Curtis Haywood – Central Oklahoma, Senior
Peyton Rogers-Schmidt – Emporia State, Sophomore
Bjarni Jonsson – Fort Hays State, Junior
Kevin Kone – Lincoln, Senior
Diego Bernard – Northwest Missouri, Senior