By FHSU SPORTS INFORMATION
KANSAS CITY, Mo. – The trio of Kaleb Hammeke, Elijah Nnanabu, and Bjarni Jonsson earned All-MIAA honors for a second straight year as a group, announced Tuesday (March 5). Jonsson is the first three-time MIAA All-Defensive Team selection in program history and is the MIAA Defensive Player of the Year, while Hammeke is now a four-time All-MIAA selection and Nnanabu is a two-time All-MIAA selection.
Hammeke headlines the three Tigers on the 2023-24 All-MIAA Team by earning first-team honors for the second-straight year. Nnanabu elevated to a second-team selection this year after an honorable mention pick last year. Jonsson continued his presence as one of the elite defenders in the conference for the third straight year and pocketed a second-straight honorable mention pick in the process.
Not only is Jonsson the first three-time MIAA All-Defensive Team selection in program history, he is also the first three-time All-Defensive Team selection of any sort in the program’s history. Jonsson becomes the third MIAA Defensive Player of the Year in FHSU Men’s Basketball history, the first to earn the honor since Matt Simmons in 2011-12. Dijon Smith also earned the honor the year prior in 2010-11. He is the fourth Defensive Player of the Year in Mark Johnson‘s coaching tenure as Jeremy Atwater earned the honor in the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference in 2005-06. Jonsson spearheads a gritty defensive-oriented Tiger squad, instrumental in helping Fort Hays State own the nation’s best scoring defense during the regular season, allowing just 57.4 points per game.
Hammeke is now just the sixth four-time All-MIAA selection in Fort Hays State Men’s Basketball history, joining Richard Staab (1933-37), Elmer Johnson (1936-40), Dean Larson (1958-62), Raymond Lee (1982-86), and Craig Nicholson (2012-16). Hammeke joins Lee and Nicholson as a special group of Tigers to win a conference Freshman of the Year award and be a four-time all-conference selection. Hammeke was the MIAA Freshman of the Year in 2020-21 while earning an honorable mention selection to the All-MIAA team that season. He has since earned second-team honors in 2021-22, and now first-team honors in both 2022-23 and 2023-24. Hammeke continues to ascend the Tiger record books, now with 1,522 points (6th most in program history) and 432 assists (4th most in program history). The Hutchinson, Kan. native leads the Tigers this season at 13.8 points and 4.3 assists per game, while adding 5.1 rebounds per contest.
Nnanabu earned his second All-MIAA selection, this time as a second-team pick by MIAA coaches. Nnanabu finished the regular season with a 12.8 points per game average and led the team in rebounds at 5.4 per game. He has the most field goals made among his team with 137 entering tournament play. He added 2.0 assists per contest as well.
Jonsson is now a two-time All-MIAA Honorable Mention pick after earning the same honor as season ago. To go with his elite defensive status, Jonsson gives the Tigers a strong all-around presence averaging 7.7 points and 4.9 rebounds per game, while making 37 3-point field goals for the season.
Below is the 2023-24 All-MIAA Men’s Basketball Team.
MIAA POSTSEASON AWARDS
PLAYER OF THE YEAR: Wes Dreamer, Northwest Missouri
DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE YEAR:Bjarni Jonsson, Fort Hays State
FRESHMAN OF THE YEAR: Jordan Frison, Pittsburg State
COACH OF THE YEAR: Ben McCollum, Northwest Missouri
ALL-MIAA FIRST TEAM
Alijah Comithier – Emporia State, Sr.
Wes Dreamer – Northwest Missouri, Sr.
Deshaun English II – Pittsburg State, Sr.
Kaleb Hammeke – Fort Hays State, Jr.
Jaden Wells – Central Oklahoma, Jr.
ALL-MIAA SECOND TEAM
Darius Dawson – Missouri Southern, Jr.
Owen Long – Emporia State, Sr.
Elijah Nnanabu – Fort Hays State, Sr.
Andrew Orr – Washburn, Jr.
Bennett Stirtz – Northwest Missouri, So.
ALL-MIAA THIRD TEAM
Rodney Battle – Rogers State, Sr.
Taye Fields – Missouri Western, Jr.
Donald Richardson – Lincoln, Sr.
Jeramy Shaw – Pittsburg State, Sr.
JaRon Thames – Missouri Western, Sr.
ALL-MIAA HONORABLE MENTION
Anthony Allen – Northeastern State, So.
Atavian Butler – Emporia State, Sr.
Danquez Dawsey – Central Oklahoma, Jr.
Jordan Frison – Pittsburg State, Fr.
Kofi Hamilton – Rogers State, Jr.
Isaiah Jackson – Northwest Missouri, Jr.
Isaac Johnson – Rogers State, Sr.
Bjarni Jonsson – Fort Hays State, Sr.
Tim Jordan Jr. – Central Missouri, Fr.
Martin Macenis – Missouri Southern, Sr.
Mitch Mascari – Northwest Missouri, Jr.
Vinson Sigmon Jr. – Missouri Southern, Sr.
Stevie Strong – Newman, Jr.
Sam Ungashick – Washburn, So.
MIAA ALL-DEFENSIVE TEAM
RJ Forney – Pittsburg State, Jr.
Jordan Hayes – Central Missouri, Sr.
Isaiah Jackson – Northwest Missouri, Jr.
Bjarni Jonsson – Fort Hays State, Sr.
Darius Yohe – Emporia State, Sr.