Men’s Basketball Announces 2016-17 Team Awards
HOUGHTON, Mich. – The Michigan Tech men's basketball program and Head Coach Kevin Luke announced the 2016-17 team award winners Wednesday night (April 5). Sophomore Kyle Monroe, who garnered multiple postseason awards, was selected as the Ken Hamar Award winner for Most Valuable Player.
Monroe, a sophomore forward from Green Bay, Wisconsin, was named to the All-Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference 1st Team, the GLIAC All-Tournament Team, the Division II Conference Commissioners Association All-Midwest Region Second Team, and the National Association of Basketball Coaches 2017 Midwest All-District Second Team.
Monroe guided the Huskies with a team high 20.1 points per game scoring average in addition to grabbing a team best 7.2 rebounds each time he took the floor. In the quarterfinals of the GLIAC Tournament against Wayne State, Monroe fired in 27-points and eclipsed the 1,000 career point mark in just two seasons. Monroe now owns 1,027 career points going into the 2017-18 campaign as a junior.
Monroe knocked down 48.8 percent of his shots from the field and finished fourth in the GLIAC in scoring this past season. Monroe also averaged two assists and a steal per game in 2016-17.
Junior forward A.J. Grazulis was picked for the Bill Gappy Award which goes to the Most Improved Player. Grazulis, a native of Marquette, Michigan, averaged 7.0 points per game and knocked down 59.2 of his field goal attempts during the 2016-17 campaign. Grazulis scored a career high 16 points twice at Saginaw Valley State on January 14th and February 23rd against Northern Michigan in the friendly confines of the SDC Wood Gym. Grazulis started all 30 games this season and reached double figures in points 10 times while averaging 3.5 rebounds per contest.
Freshman Tommy Lucca was tabbed for the Bob Olson Award which goes to the Outstanding Newcomer on the team. Lucca, a guard from Genoa, Ill., also earned a spot on the All-GLIAC Second Team and was chosen as the GLIAC Freshman of the Year.
Lucca was the second leading scorer for the Huskies this season thanks to a 15.7 points per game average and ranked ninth in the GLIAC in scoring average. In addition to his point production, Lucca guided the Huskies (Fourth in the GLIAC) in assists per game at 4.6. He also hauled down 3.8 rebounds per game and produced 1.2 steals per contest on the defensive end of the floor.
Senior guard Jordan Chartier earned the Harold Meese Sportsmanship Award for the 2016-17 season. Chartier, who hails Chatham, Michigan, was also selected as an All-GLIAC Second Team member in addition to be named to the GLIAC All-Defensive Team. Chartier had an outstanding senior season for the Huskies by averaging 13.4 points per game while sinking a team best 44.6% of his attempts from behind the arc. His three-point shooting percentage was 8th best in the GLIAC statistical rankings.
Chartier averaged 3.2 assists, 1.1 steals per game, and was second on the team in total rebounding at 3.9 boards per contest. His 3.5 defensive rebounds per game along his steals made him one of the top defenders in the conference when it came to limiting the offensive production of the opponents matched up with game in and game out.
Senior forward Nic Stoll picked up this year's Scholastic Achievement Award. Stoll, a Chemical Engineering major from Holly, Michigan boasts a 3.87 GPA and appeared in 24 games this past season. Stoll converted 55.6 percent of his field goals attempts in 2016-17.
Michigan Tech wrapped up the 2016-17 campaign with an overall record of 16-14 and tied for second in the GLIAC North Division standings. The Huskies advanced to the GLIAC Tournament semifinals, narrowly losing to top-seeded Ferris State.