Black Hills State’s Joel Scott Named RMAC Men’s Basketball Player of the Year
COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. – Black Hills State’s Joel Scott is the 2022-23 Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference (RMAC) Men’s Basketball Player of the Year, the league announced Wednesday. Scott’s award was announced alongside the 2022-23 RMAC Men’s Basketball All-Conference teams. RMAC Individual awards and all-conference rosters are voted on by the league’s 15 head coaches. Coaches are not permitted to vote for their players.
Scott earns the league’s top honor for the second consecutive season after closing out the regular season by leading the No. 16 Yellow Jackets to the No. 3 seed in the 2022-23 RMAC Men’s Basketball Tournament. The senior currently leads Black Hills State with 22.8 points per game, a mark that ranks ninth in NCAA Division II. The Monument, Colo., native leads the RMAC and ranks ninth in the NCAA DII 12 double-doubles. Not only is Scott an offensive force, but he also averages 7.50 defensive rebounds per game which rank 11th in the nation.
Metropolitan State University of Denver’s Brayden Maldonado and New Mexico Highlands’ TJ Sanchez are the RMAC Co-Freshman of the Year. Maldonado earns the honor after he started in 26 of the Roadrunners’ 27 games through the regular season, facilitating 68 defensive rebounds, 19 steals and five blocks throughout his freshman campaign. Sanchez also earns the honor after shooting a 21-for-46 clip for a 45.7-percent shooting from the field. The Santa Fe, N.M., native led the defensive efforts for the Cowboys with 39 steals on the season.
No. 14 Colorado Mesa’s Mac Riniker earns the RMAC Defensive Player of the Year nod after leading the defensive efforts for the Maverick which has limited opponents to 65.3 points per game. The redshirt sophomore has earned starts in all 28 regular season games for the Mavs, racking up 2,016 minutes on the court. Riniker ranks seventh in the nation in total blocks (27) and 49th in steals (49).
After steering the Mavericks to a share of the regular-season title and the No. 1 seed in the conference tournament, Mike DeGeorge is the RMAC Coach of the Year. In his fifth season with the Mavericks, DeGeorge has earned his fourth postseason bid after pushing CMU to a 19-3 record in conference play. This Mavericks currently ranks seventh nationally in three-point percentage(40) and 12th in field goal percentage (50.1).
Of the 20 student-athletes honored among the all-conference rosters, Black Hills State, Chadron State, Colorado Mesa and Fort Lewis lead the way with three selections each, while Colorado School of Mines accounts for two honorees. Colorado State University Pueblo, MSU Denver, New Mexico Highlands, South Dakota Mines, University of Colorado Colorado Springs and Westminster round out the rosters with one selection apiece.
RMAC Player of the Year: Joel Scott, Black Hills State
RMAC Co-Freshman of the Year: Brayden Maldonado, MSU Denver
RMAC Co-Freshman of the Year: TJ Sanchez, New Mexico Highlands
RMAC Defensive Player of the Year: Mac Riniker, Colorado Mesa
RMAC Coach of the Year: Mike DeGeorge, Colorado Mesa
2022-23 RMAC Men’s Basketball First Team All-Conference
| Name |
Pos. |
Cl. |
School |
Hometown |
| Joel Scott |
F |
Sr. |
Black Hills State |
Monument, Colo. |
| Josh Robinson |
F |
Jr. |
Chadron State |
Paris, Texas |
| Trevor Baskin |
F |
R-So. |
Colorado Mesa |
Arvada, Colo. |
| Blaise Threatt |
G |
R-So |
Colorado Mesa |
Scottsdale, Ariz. |
| Brendan Sullivan |
G/F |
R-Sr. |
Colorado School of Mines |
Highlands Ranch, Colo. |
| Adam Thistlewood |
F |
R-Sr. |
Colorado School of Mines |
Golden, Colo. |
| Akuel Kot |
G |
Jr. |
Fort Lewis |
Amarillo, Texas |
| JaQuaylon Mays |
G |
Sr. |
Fort Lewis |
Fort Smith, Ark. |
| Dante Moses |
G |
Sr. |
New Mexico Highlands |
Riviera Beach, Fl. |
| Trey Farrer |
F/C |
Jr. |
Westminster |
St.George, Utah |
2022-23 RMAC Men’s Basketball Second Team All-Conference
| Name |
Pos. |
Cl. |
School |
Hometown |
| Adam Moussa |
G |
Jr. |
Black Hills State |
Coppell, Texas |
| Matthew Ragsdale |
G |
Sr. |
Black Hills State |
Colorado Springs, Colo. |
| Bryce Latimer |
G |
Jr. |
Chadron State |
Stone Mountain, Ga. |
| Isaiah Wyatt |
G |
Jr. |
Chadron State |
Fort Worth, Texas |
| Mac Riniker |
G |
R-So. |
Colorado Mesa |
Steamboat Springs, Colo. |
| Isaiah Thompson |
F |
So. |
CSU Pueblo |
Colorado Springs, Colo. |
| Brendan Boatwright |
F/C |
Sr. |
Fort Lewis |
Carlsbad, N.M. |
| Tyrei Randall |
G |
Sr. |
MSU Denver |
Denver, Colo. |
| Brevin Walter |
G |
R-So. |
South Dakota Mines |
Las Vegas, Nev. |
| Jon’il Fugett |
G |
Sr. |
UCCS |
Denver, Colo. |
2022-23 RMAC Men’s Basketball Honorable Mention
| Name |
School |
| Isaiah Sampson |
Adams State |
| PJ Hayes |
Black Hills State |
| DJ McDonald |
Colorado Christian |
| Isaac Jessup |
Colorado Mesa |
| Sam Beskind |
Colorado School of Mines |
| Lian Ramiro |
CSU Pueblo |
| Obi Agbim |
Fort Lewis |
| Dunnell Stafford |
Fort Lewis |
| Caleb McGill |
MSU Denver |
| Aaron Bokol |
Regis |
| David Simental |
Regis |
| Kolton Mortensen |
South Dakota Mines |
| Alejandro Rama |
South Dakota Mines |
| William Becker |
UCCS |
| Avery Rembao |
Western Colorado |
| Taylor Miller |
Westminster |