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 for the second consecutive week, while Fort Lewis’ Stewart Erhart garners the Defensive award for the third time this season.
Offensive Player of the Week: Jalen Thomas, Chadron State (Gr., Guard, Amarillo, Texas)
Thomas is the back-to-back RMAC Offensive Player of the Week following a 40-point, 10-assist week for the Eagles. The dynamic guard started the week with an impressive 22-point outing on 56% shooting and five assists against Metropolitan State University of Denver. Thomas was a defensive threat when he wasn't scoring, racking up five steals against the Roadrunners. Thomas followed that up with another stellar performance, leading the team with 18 points and five assists against Colorado School of Mines. Against the Orediggers, Thomas continued to shoot lights out, recording a 71% field goal percentage.
Honorable Mention: Jude Tapia, Adams State; Jaeton Hackley Black Hills State; Christopher Speller, Colorado Mesa; Riley Schroeder, Colorado School of Mines; Jordan Blair, CSU Pueblo; Caleb McGill, MSU Denver; Nathan Hasberry, New Mexico Highlands; Jalen Brown, Regis; Mac Terry, South Dakota Mines; Hannes Saar, UCCS; Donaval Avila, Westminster.
Defensive Player of the Week: Stewart Erhart, Fort Lewis (R-Fr., Guard, Fairbanks, Alaska)
Erhart anchored one of the nation’s best defenses over the past week, helping the Skyhawks improve to 16-9. Erhart started the week with a six-steal, four-rebound outing against Colorado Mesa. As a unit, the Skyhawks forced the Mavericks to commit 29 turnovers, with 21 being steals. In the week's second game, Erhart nabbed four more steals while his squad forced 17 turnovers, giving the Skyhawks a 76-61 win. The guard scored 14 points, racked up 10 steals, collected six rebounds, and handed out four assists. The Skyhawks now lead all Division I and II programs in steals per game (12.8) and rank third in turnovers forced (20.17) and fourth in turnover margin (+7.5).
Honorable Mention: Luke Williams, Adams State; John Shanklin, Black Hills State; Jalen Thomas, Chadron State; Yaak Yaak, Colorado Mesa; Cade Mankle, Colorado School of Mines; Brevin Walter, CSU Pueblo; Brayden Carter, MSU Denver; Ty Cox, Regis; Keagen Smith, South Dakota Mines; William Becker, UCCS; Chase Potter, Westminster.
RMAC Men’s Basketball Approach – Week 13
Regular season winds down while conference play heats up
COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. – The Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference men’s basketball season is heating up as it heads into the final two weeks of the 2024-25 regular season.
Colorado School of Mines holds the league’s top spot with a 15-1 RMAC record. The Orediggers secured a 2025 RMAC Men’s Basketball Championship berth and are ranked eighth in the nation. Regis, currently the No. 2 team in the RMAC, also clinched an RMAC Championship spot with their 13-3 conference record. MSU Denver will also compete at the 2025 Championship after punching their ticket with a 12-4 record.
This week, the top three teams in the RMAC face off in games with significant postseason implications. The action kicks off with the Orediggers and Roadrunners battling it out at the Auraria Event Center on the MSU Denver campus. Colorado School of Mines will then return to the court on Thursday to host Regis before Regis defends its home court against MSU Denver in another pivotal matchup.
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) remains the league’s top scorer, averaging 16.9 points per game for the Skyhawks. Johnson is shooting 40% from the field, 36% from three, and 73% from the free throw line.
- Tristan Hurdle (Black Hills State) is the top three-point shooter in the conference, shooting 49% on the season. His percentage is tied for the best in DII this season.
- William Becker (UCCS) is the league leader in field goal percentage, shooting 69% on the season. The two-time RMAC Defensive Player of the Week continues to dominate the boards, securing his twelfth double-double this season. His double-double total is tied for the seventh most in DII. He also leads the conference in rebounds (215/9) and ranks second in blocks (39/1.6).
- Stewart Erhart (Fort Lewis) paces the league in steals per game with 62 on the season (2.5 per game). Teammates Biko Johnson, Tru Allen, and Cassius Carmichael join Erhart as the four of the top five leaders in steals per game. As a team, the Skyhawks lead all programs in DI and DII in steals per game (12.8) and rank third in turnovers forced (20.17) and fourth in turnover margin (+7.5).
- KJ Garrett (MSU Denver) leads the league in assists per game, averaging 4.8 on the season.
Win Streaks of Note
| Team |
Streak |
Last Loss |
| Colorado School of Mines |
W6 |
1/25/25 at Regis |
| MSU Denver |
W3 |
2/6/25 at Colorado Mesa |
Five Programs in D2CSC South Central Region Rankings
- Colorado School of Mines (2), MSU Denver (6), Regis (7), Fort Lewis (9), and UCCS (T10) 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 and MSU Denver flip spots. Fort Lewis holds down No. 9 for the second consecutive week, and UCCS moves into the top 10.
- Black Hills State and Colorado Mesa received votes in the latest poll but are 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.
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