For Immediate Release
Friday, Feb. 27, 2026
NSIC Media Relations
BURNSVILLE, Minn. — Southwest Minnesota State University’s Jakob Braaten has been voted by the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference head coaches as the recipient of the Bob Olson Outstanding Senior of the Year Award for the 2025-26 men’s basketball season.
A native of Byron, Minnesota, Braaten holds a 3.02 grade-point average while majoring in education with a coaching minor. He will graduate with an elementary education degree and plans to pursue a career in teaching and coaching.
The “Bob Olson Outstanding Senior of the Year Award” is presented to a NSIC men’s basketball student-athlete who participates at his institution for four years and is academically superior while making a positive contribution to his team and University. The Bob Olson Outstanding Senior of the Year award was initiated in 2020-21 to honor an outstanding senior that exemplifies the attributes of Bob Olson. Olson, a longtime basketball coach and administrator at Northern State University, is known for his loyalty, commitment and humility. The NSIC men’s basketball coaches felt Olson exemplified the attributes of the NSIC and wanted to honor a graduating senior student-athlete from the league that emulated Olson’s traits.
Braaten has proven to be one of the premier players at SMSU and in the NSIC during his career. He earned first team All-NSIC honors during both the 2024-25 and 2025-26 seasons and twice was named NSIC Player of the Week during his career. He was also named NABC/D2CIDA National Player of the Week earlier this season.
Braaten is averaging a team-high 14.4 points per game, while also leading the team in field goals (146), assists (126) and rebounding (5.5).
His outstanding play also earned national recognition, as this season he was named to the Trevor Hudgins Award Top 25 Watch List, presented annually to the top player in NCAA Division II men’s basketball, and the Bevo Francis Award Top 100 Watch List, which recognizes the top players across all levels of small college basketball.
Braaten has played in 112 games with 86 starts during his four-year career. He ranks fourth in team history in both assists (361) and steals (152), while ranking 21st in scoring (1,141).
Beyond his success on the court, Braaten has made a lasting impact in the southwest Minnesota community. He has been actively involved in the Mini Mustangs program, which reaches more than 400 youth across the region by connecting with local schools and promoting basketball fundamentals and leadership. Braaten has also participated in speaking engagements at area schools, serving as a role model and mentor to young students while inspiring the next generation through his commitment to education and athletics.
“Jakob Braaten defines everything the NSIC Outstanding Senior of the Year Award stands for, both on and off the court,” said Southwest Minnesota State head coach Brad Bigler. “His career achievements speak for themselves, being named to the Trevor Hudgins Award Top 25 Watch List and the Bevo Francis Award Top 100 Watch List reflects not only his elite level of play, but also his consistency, leadership and commitment to excellence throughout his entire career. Beyond basketball, he has made a meaningful impact in the community, especially in local schools across southwest Minnesota, where he connects naturally with kids and serves as a genuine role model. As a future education teacher, Jakob’s character, authenticity and ability to positively influence young people truly set him apart. He represents our program, university and conference with the highest level of integrity, making him a perfect embodiment of what this award is meant to honor.”
Past Winners
2020-21: Andrew Kallman, Northern State
2021-22: Devin Whitelow, Winona State
2022-23: Jordan Belka, Northern State
2023-24: Isaac Fink, Augustana
2024-25: Jacob Beeninga, MSU Moorhead
About the NSIC
The NSIC is a 16-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 122 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.
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