For Immediate Release
Monday, January 29, 2024
NSIC Media Relations
Media Packet

NSIC Player of the Week
#2 Connor Dillon (G, 6-2, 185, Jr., Peoria, Ill. / Peoria Notre Dame) - Winona State
- Averaged 25.0 points, 4.5 rebounds & 3.0 steals in a pair of home wins
- Shot 7-of-13 (53.8%) from 3-point range and 17-of-31 (54.8%) overall from the field
- Scored 27 points with six rebounds and three steals in an 83-72 win over No. 3 MSUM
- Added 23 points with three rebounds, three steals and three assists in a 77-69 win over SCSU

NSIC Shining 5*
Marcus Skeete (CSP)
- Led the Golden Bears with 21.5 points, 8.5 rebounds and 5.0 assists on the weekend
- Hit 50.0% (16-32) from the floor and 90.9% (10-11) from the free throw line
- Tallied 24 points, eight boards and three assists while hitting 69.2% (9-13) from the field in a win over BSU
- Flirted with a triple-double with 19 points, nine rebounds and seven assists against UMC
- Ranks fourth in the NSIC in free throw percentage (86.1%) and fifth in field goal percentage (51.8%)
- Also ranks 11th in the NSIC in scoring (15.9) and rebounding (6.7)
Drew Blair (UMD)
- Averaged 26 pts, 3.5 rebounds, and 1.0 assist over both UMD wins
- Was 19-of-28 (.678) from the field 
- Scored a game high 29 points in a win over UMC
Noah Puetz (USF)
- Averaged 16.0 points, 6.0 rebounds and 4.0 assists in two wins
- Helped lead USF to a weekend sweep over NSU and UMary with 32 points
- Led the Coo with 12 boards between the two contests
- Put up season highs in points, minutes, field goals and rebounds on the weekend
Jake Phipps (SMSU)
- Averaged 15.5 points, 8.5 rebounds in a pair of home wins
- Shot 64 percent (14-of-22) from the field, while averaging just 19 minutes per game 
- Was 7-of-10, with eight rebounds, two blocked shots and an assist in an 83-51 win over UMary
- Was 7-of-12 with nine rebounds in 19 minutes of play in an 80-46 win over NSU
- For the season, leads SMSU in scoring, rebounding, blocked shots and field goal percentage

*Each week the NSIC will select a player of the week and highlight four other performances to make up the "NSIC Shining 5"

2023-24 NSIC Players of the Week
11/13/23
#2 Malik Willingham - Minnesota State
11/20/23
#0 Antwan Kimmons - Concordia-St. Paul
11/27/23
#12 Josh Dilling - Northern State
12/4/23
#23 John Sutherland - Bemidji State
12/11/23
#21 Jacksen Moni - Northern State
12/18/23
#0 Dalton Albrecht - Bemidji State
1/3/24
#4 Dylan Peeters - Minnesota State
1/8/24
#10 Dunwa Omot - SMSU
1/15/24
#21 Isaac Fink - Augustana
1/22/24
#23 Connor Hollenbeck - Minot State
1/29/24
#2 Connor Dillon - Winona State

About the NSIC
The NSIC is a 15-team, 18-sport, NCAA Division II conference with institutions located in Minnesota, Nebraska, North Dakota, and South Dakota. The NSIC is a model Division II conference that uses high-level athletics competition to develop champions in the classroom and community while empowering student-athletes to be impactful and positive leaders. Formed in 1992 by the merger of the Northern Intercollegiate Conference (men’s league) and the Northern Sun Conference (women’s league), the NSIC has flourished over the past quarter century, maturing into a union of Upper Midwest colleges and universities. The NSIC has won 25 team national championships and crowned 111 individual national champions. For additional information, visit NorthernSun.org.

About NCAA Division II
The NCAA, the national governing body for college athletics, is a volunteer association of more than 1,000 colleges and universities that classify their athletics programs in one of three membership divisions. The 300+ institutions in NCAA Division II support a balanced approach in which student-athletes can earn scholarships based on their athletic ability, pursue their desired academic degree, and participate in all the campus and surrounding community have to offer. Division II student-athletes annually graduate at rates higher than their student body peers, and they have access to the best championships-participant ratio among the NCAA’s three divisions. Division II gives student-athletes the unique opportunity to compete in the classroom, on the field, in their career, for their causes, and on their terms. For additional information, visit NCAA.org.