Several Huskies win All-GLIAC, Special Award Honors
HOUGHTON, Mich. - Several Michigan Tech men's basketball players, along with Head Coach Josh Buettner have been recognized by the conference this week for All-Conference Awards. Senior guard Owen White was named GLIAC Player of the Year, First Team All-GLIAC, and GLIAC All-Defensive Team. Senior forward Trent Bell also earned All-GLIAC First Team and All-GLIAC Defensive Team. Senior guard Carter Johnston was also included on the GLIAC All-Defensive Team. Head Coach Josh Buettner is the 2021-22 GLIAC Coach of the Year.
OWEN WHITE (Sr. – Rhinelander, Wis. – G/F)
White became the fourth Michigan Tech men's basketball player in GLIAC history to win conference player of the year in back-to-back seasons, joining Husky greats Matt Cameron ('03, 04'), Josh Buettner ('04, '05), and Ali Haider ('13, '14). White led the Huskies with 17.1 points per game, including 10 games of 20 or more points. He shot 48.7-percent from the field, including 36.6-percent from 3-point range. He also averaged 5.9 rebounds, 3.2 assists, 0.9 steals, and 0.9 blocks.
He also recorded three double-doubles and put up a season-high 25 points at St. Cloud State on November 28. White was named GLIAC North Division Player of the Week twice in 2021-22. He has been recognized five times in his distinguished career. Last season, White was on the NABC Honors Court, NABC All-American, First Team All-Midwest District, GLIAC First Team, All-GLIAC Defensive Team, and CoSIDA Academic All-America Third Team.
White has been named to the GLIAC All-Defensive team in each of the past three seasons. He has twice been a member of the GLIAC All-Tournament team, and twice been a first team All-GLIAC honoree. His 1,542 career points currently ranks 12th on the Michigan Tech all-time chart.
TRENT BELL (Sr. – Negaunee, Mich. – F)
Bell was named first-team all-GLIAC and all-GLIAC defensive team. He averages a league-high 1.8 steals per game in 27 starts this season and has amassed the fifth-highest number of single-season steals in Tech history, currently at 48. He also leads the team and ranks second in the league in rebounds (8.4 rpg) with nine double-doubles. Bell has been named GLIAC North Division Player of the Week and posted a season-high 24 points at Davenport on February 10. Last season, Bell started all 23 games and finished fifth in the league in rebounds. He holds the Michigan Tech all-time record for career games played (135).
CARTER JOHNSTON (Sr. – Beaverton, Mich. – G)
Johnston averages 4.6 assists per game (2nd – GLIAC). His 123 total assists trails only Ferris State's Jimmy Schooler (134) and passed league-leading total last year. In 2020-21, Johnston led the Huskies with 5.5 assists per game. He has 324 career assists, which is up to fifth all-time among Huskies. His father, Jeff Johnston is the MTU record holder with 597 career assists. Johnston is frequently tasked with guarding the opposing team's top small players. He also contributes on offense with five games in double-figures.
JOSH BUETTNER (Head Coach – 1st season)
Coach Buettner earned GLIAC Coach of the Year after guiding the Huskies to a 21-6 overall record in his first season at the helm. The Huskies won a share of the GLIAC Regular Season Championship after finishing 16-4 in conference games. Tech held an impressive 10-2 road record, which included a streak of five straight road wins and nine wins overall through the first half of February. After 13 seasons as assistant coach of the Huskies, Buettner was promoted to Associate Head Coach last season and helped the Huskies make a run to the NCAA Midwest Region Championship. This season, Michigan Tech boasts the league's stingiest defense, averaging 64.8 points against, which ranks 19th in Division II.
The No. 2 seed Huskies play next in the GLIAC Semifinals Saturday, March 5 against No. 3 seed Northern Michigan. Tipoff at SDC Gymnasium is 12 p.m.