Five Huskies Receive GLIAC Awards and Honors
ALLENDALE, Mich. – The Michigan Tech men's basketball team was well represented for the accomplishments of the 2019-20 season when the Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference announced award winners at the Championship Banquet Friday night (Mar. 6). The Huskies had the Player of the Year with senior Kyle Monroe and the Coach of the Year in Kevin Luke. Junior Dawson Bilski was also selected for All-GLIAC First Team honors while sophomore Owen White and junior Isaac Appleby were named to the All-Defensive Team.
Monroe, who also earned a spot on the All-GLIAC First Team, has had a record-breaking season for the Huskies in 2019-20. Monroe, a forward who hails from Green Bay, Wisconsin, set new career scoring records for Michigan Tech and the GLIAC while also breaking the single game scoring record for Tech and the conference with 53 points at Grand Valley State January 23. Monroe owns 2,497 career points coming into the GLIAC semifinals and racked up 1,875 points in regular season conference contests over the course of his career to establish that new benchmark.
Monroe surpassed Michigan Tech's all-time career scoring record of 2,360 points, which was set by Larry Grimes from 1968-72, at Lake Superior State February 15. Monroe leads the GLIAC in scoring this year, averaging 23.0 entering Saturday's game. He ranks among the top 10 in three-pointers (67), free-throw percentage (79.2), free throws (118), total rebounds (205) and steals (43).
Head Coach Kevin Luke, the winningest coach in Michigan Tech basketball history is currently in his 26th season leading the Huskies. Luke has guided the Huskies to a 21-8 overall record heading into the 2020 GLIAC Tournament Semifinal game. Tech finished second in the GLIAC North Division standings with a 14-6 conference mark and has now advanced to the semifinals of the tournament in three of the last four seasons. The Huskies have competed in the conference tournament 22 times in Luke's tenure, winning three consecutive titles in 2001, 2002, and 2003.
Luke has also led the Huskies to eight regular season GLIAC Championships and nine appearances in the NCAA National Tournament. Luke has been selected as the GLIAC Coach of the year five times and owns an overall record of 454-294 entering Saturday. His record in GLIAC games during his career stands at 303-202.
Bilski, a guard from Powers, Michigan, is second on the team in scoring thanks to a 14.8 points per game averaged coming into the GLIAC Final Four. Bilski is currently second in the GLIAC in three-point shooting percentage (48.3%) and was tabbed as the North Division Player of the Week twice during the regular season. Bilski poured in a career high 29 points against Lake Superior State January 16 in the SDC Gym and in the process connected on a career best seven triples. Bilski has found the target on 51.6 percent of his total field goal attempts, 12th best in the GLIAC. Bilski is also averaging 4.0 rebounds and 2.1 assists per game through 29 contests this year. BIlski was an All-GLIAC Second Team honoree following the 2018-19 campaign.
White, a forward from Rhinelander, Wisconsin, was picked for the GLIAC All-Defensive Team for his work on the court this season. White is averaging 2.9 defensive rebounds per game and leads the Huskies in blocked shots with 28. Offensively, White is averaging 11.9 points per game and is 13th in the GLIAC in field goal percentage (51.4%) going into the weekend. In addition, he is fourth in the conference in three-point shooting percentage (47.4%). White established a career high of 26 points in Tech's 119-72 win over Finlandia on December 11. White has helped guide Tech's defense to a No. 4 ranking in the conference in fewest points allowed per game (68.4) and blocks per game (3.8).
Appleby, a guard from Eau Claire, Wisconsin, joined White on this year's GLIAC All-Defensive Team. Appleby is second on the team in overall rebounding at 5.6 boards per game, with 4.2 of them being generated on the defensive end of the floor. Appleby is second on the team in steals with 23 and has 11 blocked shots from his guard position. Appleby is averaging 7.3 points per game and is connecting on 50.3 percent of his shots from the floor. Appleby established a new career high with 13 rebounds at Saginaw Valley State on February 1. Appleby is assigned to guard some of the top players in the GLIAC game in and game out and has been a key factor in helping the Huskies limit opposing offenses this year.
The Huskies are 21-8 overall and will meet Grand Valley State at 1 p.m. eastern time Saturday in one of two GLIAC Tournament semifinal games in Allendale, Michigan. Tech defeated Saginaw Valley State 75-56 in the quarterfinals Tuesday night to advance to the GLIAC Final Four for the third time in four seasons. The other semifinal showdown features Northwood and Northern Michigan beginning at 4 p.m. eastern time.
The winners of the two semifinal games will meet on Sunday afternoon in the GLIAC Tournament Championship at 1 p.m. eastern time. The tournament champion receives the automatic bid to the NCAA Midwest Region Tournament. All three games are being hosted at Grand Valley State.
The official GLIAC release can be viewed by clicking on the link above.