Three Bruins claim five NSAA Post-Season Awards

MADISON, S.D. -- One day after winning the North Star Athletic Association Tournament Championship, the Bellevue University men's basketball team saw two student-athletes as well as its coach honored in the NSAA's Post-Season Awards Program.

Junior guard BJ Shelton (Bakersfield, Calif.) collected three awards as he was named NSAA Most Valuable Player, Newcomer of the Year, and First Team All-NSAA. Shelton leads the team in scoring at 14.9 points per game, free throw percentage (61.8%), and started a team-high 30 games on the year. His 5.0 rebounds per game rank second on the team and he is one of five players averaging better than one assist per game. In league play he averaged 16.1 points and 5.5 rebounds per game.

Junior guard Nick Hilton (Sacramento, Calif.) earned Second Team All-NSAA distinction. Hilton leads Bellevue with 93 three-pointers, a 44.3 shooting percentage behind the arc, and is tied for tops on the team with 20 steals. He ranks second in scoring at 11.5 points per game, second in assists (82), and third in free throw percentage (82.5%). In league play he averaged 12.2 points and 3.1 assists per game while knocking down a team-leading 48 three-pointers.

Bruin coach Shane Paben was named the league's Coach of the Year after guiding Bellevue to both the NSAA Regular-Season and Tournament Championships. In his ninth season, Paben has now led his teams to a total of 14 conference championships (8 regular-season, 6 tournament) and has had each of his nine teams qualify for the NAIA Division II National Tournament. He sports a 232-73 overall coaching record at Bellevue, good for a .761 winning percentage.

Bellevue has a 22-10 overall record on the year which includes an 11-5 mark in North Star play that was good for a three-way tie for first in the league standings. After claiming the NSAA Tournament Championship on Monday evening, BU has now qualified for 15-straight NAIA Division II National Tournaments.

The National Tournament Selection Show – where Bellevue will find out their opponent and game time – will take place Wednesday evening at 6 p.m. The Tournament itself will take place from Mar. 8-14 at Keeter Gymnasium on the campus of the College of the Ozarks in Point Lookout, Mo.

Major Awards:

• Most Valuable Player: BJ Shelton (Bellevue)
• Defensive Player of the Year: Austin Dunbar (Valley City State)
• Newcomer of the Year: BJ Shelton (Bellevue)
• Coach of the Year: Shane Paben (Bellevue)

First Team All-NSAA

• BJ Shelton (Bellevue)
• Marcus White (Dickinson State)
• Jake Hagler (Jamestown)
• Jayden Ferguson (Valley City State)
• Donnell Minton (Presentation)

Second Team All-NSAA

• Kyle Kilgore (Dakota State)
• Tanner Heiser (Dakota State)
• Nick Hilton (Bellevue)
• Ethan Haberman (Viterbo)
• Jake Bamke (Viterbo)

Honorable Mention All-NSAA

• Reggie Fields Jr. (Dickinson State)
• Jerry Shevlin (Dickinson State)
• Logan Brown (Jamestown)
• Jacob Havron (Jamestown)
• Elijah Valdez (Presentation)
• Austin Dunbar (Valley City State)
• Rashad Satahoo (Valley City State)
• Michael Morgan (Waldorf)
• Kaden Verdin (Waldorf)