For Immediate Release
Thursday, Feb. 27, 2014
NSIC Media Relations
Full PDF Release

NSIC PLAYER OF THE YEAR
#22 Zach Monaghan (G, 6-3, 180, Jr., Palatine, Ill. / Fremd HS)
Minnesota State University, Mankato

Monaghan started in all 22 NSIC games for the Mavericks this season, averaging nearly 34 minutes of action per game. He is the first Maverick to receive the NSIC Player of the Year honor. He averaged 16 points and nine assists per conference game and shot 48% from the field and 44% from beyond the arc. He also led the Mavericks with 44 steals in conference action. He notched eight double-doubles in conference action as he passed out at least 10 assists in 10 conference games. Against Minot State, Monaghan set new career-highs with 31 points and 14 assists in MSU’s 109-95 victory over the Beavers. On the season, he also set a new Minnesota State single-season record with 240 assists, surpassing the previous mark of 221 set by Gene Glynn back in the 1975-76 season.

NSIC DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE YEAR
#1 Kellen Taylor (G/F, 6-7, 215, Sr., Plymouth, Minn. / Wayzata HS)
Winona State University

Taylor has been the backbone of the Warrior defense, leading a unit that gave up just 67.8 points per game in conference play. The senior averaged 10.5 points and 8.4 rebounds in league games while also leading the team in steals (38) and finishing second in blocks (23). Taylor was also successful on the offensive end for the Warriors, shooting 51.4 percent in NSIC matchups while passing out 69 assists. He had double-doubles in seven games during league play, including a 16-point, 16-rebounds effort against NSIC North co-champion Bemidji state and 17 points and 10 rebounds against NSIC South champ Minnesota State.

NSIC FRESHMAN OF THE YEAR
#11 Riley Bambenek (G, 6-4, 200, Fr.,  Germantown, Wis. / G-E-T  HS)
Winona State University

Riley Bambenek led Winona State in scoring as a freshman, averaging 15.9 points per game in conference play while shooting 47.7 percent from the floor. A solid long-range shooter, Bambenek leads Winona State with 43 made 3-pointers, hitting the shots at a 44.8 percent clip. He recorded nine games with at least 20 points in conference play, including a break-out 33-point showing in the Warriors’ win at Minnesota State. He reached double figures scoring in 16 of WSU’s 22 NSIC games while also grabbing 3.7 rebounds and handing out 2.1 assists per game. He is the first freshman to lead the Warriors in scoring since Zach Malvik during the 2002-03 season.

NSIC NEWCOMER OF THE YEAR
#1 Brock Lutes (G, 6-4, 215, Jr.,  Portland, Ore. / Newberg  HS)
Bemidji State University

Lutes became the seventh Bemidji State player to earn the NSIC scoring title when he posted a league-best 22.2 points per game this season. He led the league with 175 field goals made, helping him reach 488 points, which is the third most points scored in a conference season. The junior piled up 36.32 minutes per game to rank first in the league. He finished fourth in 3-pointers made with 53 (2.4 3-pointers made per game) and was also fourth in free throw percentage, shooting at a 88.5 percent clip (85-for-96). In league play, Lutes totaled 80 rebounds, 48 assists and 18 steals. He shot 50.4 percent from the field and 38.7 percent from 3-point range. Lutes is the fifth Bemidji State student-athlete to earn NSIC Newcomer of the Year honors since the award began following the 1998-99 season.

NSIC Coach of the Year
Matt Margenthaler
Minnesota State University, Mankato

Minnesota State head coach Matt Margenthaler guided his squad to a 25-4 regular season record, including a 19-3 NSIC record, en route to back-to-back NSIC Championships. This is the third time since joining the NSIC that Margenthaler has received the NSIC Coach of the Year award. The Mavericks have now won four NSIC titles under Margenthaler since joining the NSIC back in the 2008-09 season. The Mavericks wrapped up the season on a season-long nine game winning streak to claim the top spot in the NSIC standings. Margenthaler’s squad averaged 85.7 points and 39.8 rebounds per game in conference action, as it shot 50.7% from the field, while passing out 381 assists. The Mavericks also saw five players average more than 10 points per game in conference action.

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