BELLEVUE, Neb. -- For the second-straight season the Bellevue University men's basketball team has the NSAA Most Valuable Player and Coach of the Year. The North Star Athletic Association announced their men's basketball award winners on Saturday evening at the "NSAA Final Four" Banquet.
Senior guard BJ Shelton was named a first team all-NSAA selection and the league's Most Valuable Player after receiving each of those distinctions a season ago. On the year Shelton leads Bellevue with 12.1 points per game, ranks second in shooting percentage (54.1 percent), and is third with 4.6 rebounds per game. In conference play his numbers jumped to 15.6 points per game (1st on team), 56.9 field goal percentage (2nd), and 5.2 rebounds per game (2nd).
Paben, in his 10th season at Bellevue, takes home his second NSAA Coach of the Year Honor (2016/17) and fourth overall (MCAC: 2009/10, 2011/12). He has guided the Bruins to 20-win seasons and NAIA Division II National Tournament Appearances in each of his first nine seasons at the helm.
The Bruins are 21-10 overall on the season and the top seed in the NSAA Tournament. BU earned the NSAA Regular-Season title with an 11-5 mark in league play. They host Mayville State tomorrow (Feb. 25) at 4 p.m. in the semifinals with the winner advancing to Monday's Championship Game (7 p.m.).
Major Awards:
Most Valuable Player: BJ Shelton (Bellevue)
Defensive Player of the Year: Cade Anderson (Viterbo)
Newcomer of the Year: Leighton Sampson (Jamestown)
Coach of the Year: Shane Paben (Bellevue)
First Team All-NSAA:
BJ Shelton (Bellevue)
Marcus White (Dickinson State)
Leighton Sampson (Jamestown)
Jayden Ferguson (Valley City State)
Julius Jackson (Presentation)
Second Team All-NSAA:
Justin Folkers (Dakota State)
Ethan Haberman (Viterbo)
Kaden Verdin (Waldorf)
Kevin Oberweiser (Jamestown)
Jon Purintun (Jamestown)
Honorable Mention All-NSAA:
Kevin Daniels (Dakota State)
Rashad Satahoo (Valley City State)
Gorg Alhag (Mayville State)
Daniel Lindgren (Mayville State)
Falmata Tula (Waldorf)
