Men’s Basketball announces annual team awards
HOUGHTON, Mich. – The Michigan Tech men's basketball coaching staff announced the annual team award winners for the 2023-24 season. Sophomore guard Marcus Tomashek was named the Ken Hamar Award given to the team's most valuable player.
Tomashek had one of the biggest jumps from his first season to his second in all of Division II, finishing with 22.9 points per game, totaling 640 points. He shot 45.6 percent from the field, 41.3 from 3-point land and 86.7 percent from the foul line this season. He earned D2CCA All-Region Second Team accolades, along with being tabbed First Team All-GLIAC. The Green Bay, Wisconsin, native was the lone player in the GLIAC to earn Offensive Player of the Week three times.
Sophomore forward Dawson Nordgaard was named the Bill Gappy most improved player. The De Pere, Wisconsin, native more than doubled his minutes from his first season with the Huskies to his sophomore campaign. Nordgaard played in 28 games, making 23 starts while going from 3.5 points per game his first year to 7.9 this past season. He scored 222 points and grabbed 97 rebounds for the Black & Gold in his breakthrough season, scoring in double-figures in nine games.
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Bill Gappy (MTU Athletics Hall of Fame) collected 146 wins in 12 seasons as head coach of the Huskies (1972-83, 1984-85).
For the second consecutive season, Josh Terrian earned the Harold Meese sportsmanship award. The Pewaukee, Wisconsin, native played and started 27 games for the Huskies, averaging almost 31 minutes of action per game. He scored in double-figures twice with his career-high 17 points coming vs. Ferris State, going 4-for-5 from 3-point range. Terrain also earned All-GLIAC Defensive Team honors this season.
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Harold Meese (MTU Athletics Hall of Fame) spent 36 years as a professor and dean of students at Michigan Tech. He also served on the Michigan Tech Athletic Board and helped create and administer the athletic grant-in-aid program.
Freshman Matt Schamainda earned the Bob Olson outstanding newcomer award. The Elm Grove, Wisconsin, native appeared in 20 games for the Huskies averaging 9.1 minutes. He scored his career-high of six points twice in his freshman year.
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Bob Olson (MTU Athletics Hall of Fame) was the original "Voice of the Huskies". He began broadcasting Tech athletic events in 1969 and spent more than 32 years behind the microphone.
Peyton LaCombe was awarded this year's scholastic achievement award. Hailing from Ludington, Michigan, making his debut for the Huskies this season, playing in 17 games and making two starts. He scored a career-high 10 points at Lake Superior State and averaged 2.9 points on 47.5 percent from the field for the season. LaCombe also holds one of the highest GPAs on the team studying biomedical engineering.
Michigan Tech finished the 2023-24 season 11-17 overall and 8-10 in the GLIAC, bowing out of the GLIAC tournament in the quarterfinals at Grand Valley State.