NDSU's Braun, Bjorklund and Phillips Claim Summit Leage Honors

SIOUX FALLS, S.D. - North Dakota State senior guard Taylor Braun was selected as The Summit League Men’s Basketball Player of the Year, and NDSU head coach Saul Phillips earned the league’s Coach of the Year award, the league announced Thursday, March 6.

Senior forward Marshall Bjorklund was named to the All-Summit League first team for the second consecutive year. Senior forward TrayVonn Wright was named to the second team for the first All-Summit League recognition of his career, and junior point guard Lawrence Alexander received honorable mention accolades.

Braun becomes NDSU’s second Summit League Player of the Year, joining Ben Woodside who earned the award for the 2008-09 season. This is the second Summit League Coach of the Year honor for Phillips, who also won for the 2008-09 season.

Braun and Bjorklund join Woodside and Brett Winkelman as two-time first-team All-Summit League performers for the Bison.

Braun is averaging 18.0 points per game this season to lead the league in scoring, as well as averaging 5.5 rebounds, 4.0 assists and 1.7 steals. He has scored in double figures 25 times this season, including four games of 30 or more points. Braun has also posted single-game highs of 15 rebounds and 11 assists. His 503 points scored make him the 15th player in NDSU history to score more than 500 in a season.

Bjorklund is averaging 13.6 points and 4.4 rebounds per game this season, while leading NCAA Division I in field goal percentage at 63.9 percent. He has scored in double figures 22 times this season, including a single-game high of 28 points in a win over Towson on Dec. 21. Bjorklund is the NCAA active career leader in field goal percentage and ranks eighth in NCAA history for his career.

Wright is averaging 11.2 points, 5.1 rebounds and 1.8 blocks on the year while shooting 48 percent from the field. He ranks second in the league in blocks per game and ninth in rebounds per game.

Alexander ranked third with 35.8 minutes played per game in league play. He was second in the league in free throw percentage and stands at 55th in the nation this season at 86 percent from the line. Alexander is averaging 11.3 points, 4.3 rebounds and 2.9 assists on the year.

Phillips guided the Bison to a 23-6 regular-season record and a 12-2 mark in league play for their second Summit League regular season title.

2013-14 Summit League Men’s Basketball Awards

Player of the Year

Taylor Braun, North Dakota State

Newcomer of the Year

Garret Covington, Western Illinois

Sixth Man of the Year

Mo Evans, Fort Wayne

Defensive Player of the Year

Chris Udofia, Denver

Coach of the Year

Saul Phillips, North Dakota State

First Team All-Summit

Marshall Bjorklund, North Dakota State

Taylor Braun, North Dakota State

Jordan Dykstra, South Dakota State

Luis Jacobo, Fort Wayne

Brett Olson, Denver

Chris Udofia, Denver

Second Team All-Summit

Brayden Carlson, South Dakota State

Garret Covington, Western Illinois

Steve Forbes, Fort Wayne

Cody Larson, South Dakota State
TrayVonn Wright, North Dakota State

  

Honorable Mention All-Summit

Lawrence Alexander, North Dakota State
Brandon Bos, South Dakota

CJ Carter, Omaha
Trevor Gruis, South Dakota
John Karhoff, Omaha

All-Newcomer

Garret Covington, Western Illinois
Mo Evans, Fort Wayne

Steve Forbes, Fort Wayne
Cody Larson, South Dakota State

Khufu Najee, IUPUI