By: Nash Loibl, Advanced Graduate Assistant / Strategic Communications
COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. – The Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference announced its latest RMAC Men’s Basketball Player of the Week awards on Monday. Chadron State guard Jalen Thomas earns the Offensive Player of the Week honor, while Colorado Mesa’s Yaak Yaak garners the Defensive award.
Offensive Player of the Week: Jalen Thomas, Chadron State (Gr., Guard, Amarillo, Texas)
In an undefeated weekend, Thomas soared on the offensive for the Eagles. In the weekend’s opening game against Colorado Christian, Thomas scored an NCAA career-high 24 points on 50% shooting. The Amarillo, Texas product added five rebounds and four assists to his stat line, leading his squad to a 62-58 victory. Thomas followed this up with a 14-point outing against Colorado State University Pueblo. When he wasn’t scoring, Thomas was distributing the ball and rebounding, collecting seven assists and rebounds.
Honorable Mention: Jude Tapia, Adams State; Tristan Hurdle, Black Hills State; De’Shaun Cooper, CSU Pueblo; Ty Allred, Colorado Mesa; Brayden Carter, MSU Denver; Blessin Kimble, New Mexico Highlands; Eddy Egun, Regis; Guido Wanschelbaum, South Dakota Mines; Xavier Martinez, UCCS; Simon Akena, Westminster.
Defensive Player of the Week: Yaak Yaak, Colorado Mesa (So., Forward, Adelaide, Australia)
Yaak helped lead his squad against a pair of Denver schools, pushing the Mavericks to a 1-1 weekend. In Thursday’s matchup against Metropolitan State University of Denver, Yaak racked up 14 points, 11 rebounds, five blocks, and one steal in 40 minutes of action. Behind his defensive efforts, Colorado Mesa defeated MSU Denver 89-85, and Yaak notched his first career double-double. In CMU’s Saturday contest against the Rangers, Yaak added six rebounds, one block, and one steal to his weekend total, pushing the Mavericks to a narrow 73-74 loss.
Honorable Mention: Cam Lowe, Black Hills State; Denim Johnson, CSU Pueblo; Zy Wright, Chadron State; Cade Mankle, Colorado School of Mines; Chuol Deng, Fort Lewis; Brayden Carter, MSU Denver; Ty Cox, Regis; Guido Wanschelbaum, South Dakota Mines; William Becker, UCCS; Donaval Avila, Westminster.
RMAC Men’s Basketball Approach – Week 12
Conference play continues in the RMAC
COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. – The Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference men’s basketball season rolls into Week 12, leaving only four weeks left in the regular season.
Colorado School of Mines continues to hold the top spot in the RMAC standings, boasting a 13-1 record in the conference. Regis currently holds the second-best record in the RMAC with a 12-2 conference record. With these impressive records, the Orediggers and Rangers clinched the first two spots in the 2025 RMAC Men’s Basketball Championship.
This week, the Orediggers welcome Black Hills State and Chadron State to Golden, Colorado, while Regis also hosts Black Hills State and South Dakota Mines. Joining the Orediggers and Rangers in homecourt defense this week is Colorado Christian, New Mexico Highlands, Adams State, Fort Lewis, Colorado State University Pueblo, Metropolitan State University of Denver, and University of Colorado Colorado Springs.
Links
Lead Stories
Colorado School of Mines Chosen as 2024 RMAC Men’s Basketball Preseason Favorite
- Colorado School of Mines was the preseason favorite, following the results of the 2024 Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference Men’s Basketball Preseason Coaches’ Poll. The Orediggers top the preseason poll with 11 first-place votes and 191 total points. The poll was voted on by the league’s head coaches, who were not permitted to vote for their teams.
Keep an Eye On
- Biko Johnson (Fort Lewis) leads the RMAC in scoring, averaging 17 points per game. On the season, Johnson is shooting 40% from the field, 36% from three, and 75% from the free throw line.
- Tristan Hurdle (Black Hills State) is the top three-point shooter in the conference, shooting 50% on the season, giving him the best three-point percentage in Division II.
- William Becker (UCCS) paces the league in field goal percentage, shooting 69% on the season. The graduate student has won two RMAC Defensive Player of the Week awards and has 11 double-doubles on the season, tying him for the ninth most in DII. The graduate student also leads the league in rebounds (197/9).
- Stewart Erhart (Fort Lewis) is a key contributor to a Skyhawks defensive unit that forces league-leading 19.6 turnovers per game. Fort Lewis averages 12.35 steals per game, with Erhart averaging 2.3 himself.
- Kobe Sanders (Regis) is second in the league in assists, averaging 4.4 per game. Sanders is a major contributor to the Rangers’ nine-game win streak.
Win Streaks of Note
| Team |
Streak |
Last Loss |
| Regis |
W9 |
1/9/25 at Black Hills State |
| Colorado School of Mines |
W4 |
1/25/25 at Regis |
Five Programs in D2CSC South Central Region Rankings
- Colorado School of Mines (2), Regis (6), MSU Denver (7), and Fort Lewis (9) earn top 10 rankings in the latest DII College Sports Communicators (D2CSC) South Central Regional Rankings.
- The Orediggers stay steady at No. 2, while Regis climbs to No. 6. MSU Denver falls one spot, and Fort Lewis falls to No. 9.
- Black Hills State receives votes in the latest poll but is not nationally ranked.
About the RMAC
The RMAC is a premier NCAA Division II conference, located in Colorado Springs, Colo., with 15 member institutions. The RMAC sponsors 22 varsity NCAA sports and has produced 67 NCAA Division II national champions and 54 national runners-up since 1992.
#EverythingElevated