For Immediate Release
Monday, January 27, 2025
NSIC Media Relations
Media Packet

NSIC Player of the Week
#50 Caleb Van De Griend (F, 6-8, 240, Jr., Bridgetown, Australia / Albany Christian College) - Minot State
- Averaged 21.5 points, 11.5 rebounds  and 1.5 assists in wins over CSP & UMD
- Was 13-of-20 (65%) from the field and 16-of-17 from the line
- Recorded his 18th double-double of the season in a win over Minnesota Duluth
- Set the single-season Minot State record for rebounds with 303
- Named NSIC Player of the Week for the third time this season (12/2/24 & 12/23/24)

NSIC Shining 5*
Kyreese Willingham (MSU) 
- Scored 22 points as he connected on 8-of-14 (.571) shots from the field in a win at NSU
- Went 5-for-5 from the free throw line
- Led the team with eight rebounds and four steals 
- Passed out two assists
Mason Lund (SMSU) 
- Averaged 15.0 points, 7.5 rebounds, while shooting 79 percent (11 of 14) from the field
- Added six 3-pointers to help SMSU earn two big road victories last weekend
- Scored a career-high 20 points on 8-of-9 shooting with four 3-pointers, in a win at BSU
- Grabbed eight rebounds at BSU
- Scored 10 points with seven rebounds and two steals in a come-from-behind win at SCSU
- Made 3-of-5 shots with a pair of 3-pointers and also made two big free throws late in the game
Cody McCullough (WSC)
- Averaged 20.5 points and 8.5 rebounds per game in a road sweep at UMC and MSUM
- Had career-high 26 points with seven rebounds on 9 of 13 shooting in Friday's 78-76 win at UMC
- Added double-double with 15 points and 10 rebounds in Saturday's 73-68 OT win at MSU Moorhead
- For the weekend shot 14 of 21 (66%) from the field and 68.4 percent (13-19) at the free throw line
Luke Haertle (WSU)
- Led the Warriors with a career high 35 points in their win against Northern State
- Knocked down the final six points for Winona State from the free throw line to seal the game
- Also grabbed a team high nine rebounds against the Wolves
- Shot 5-7 from beyond the arc and 10-14 from the field in the contest
- Also gathered two assists and one steal in the win

*Each week the NSIC will select a player of the week and highlight four other performances to make up the "NSIC Shining 5"
2024-25 NSIC Players of the Week
11/13/24
#23 Marcus Skeete - Concordia-St. Paul
11/18/24
#0 Antwan Kimmons - Concordia-St. Paul
11/25/24
#32 Wyatt Hawks – St. Cloud State
12/2/24
#50 Caleb Van De Griend - Minot State
12/9/24
#23 Marcus Skeete - Concordia-St. Paul (2) 
12/16/24
#5 Ben Kopetzki – Concordia-St. Paul
12/23/24
#50 Caleb Van De Griend - Minot State (2)
1/6/25
#0 Antwan Kimmons - Concordia-St. Paul (2)
1/23/25
#1 Jakob Braaten - Southwest Minnesota State
1/30/25
#23 Creighton Morisch - Sioux Falls
1/27/25
#50 Caleb Van De Griend - Minot State (3)

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 27 team national championships and crowned 116 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.