By: Nash Loibl, Advanced Graduate Assistant / Strategic Communications
COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. – The Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference announced its Week 12 RMAC Men’s Basketball Player of the Week awards on Monday. Regis guard Kobe Sanders earns the Offensive Player of the Week honor for the second consecutive week, while Fort Lewis forward Cassius Carmichael is the league’s Defensive Player of the Week.
Offensive Player of the Week: Kobe Sanders, Regis (Gr., Guard, Denver, Colorado)
Sanders continued his hot streak for the Rangers, leading his squad to two victories over the past week. The graduate student started things out with a career-high 36-point outing against Adams State, shooting 60% from the field and 55% from three. In addition, Sanders recorded three assists and three rebounds, pushing the Rangers to a narrow 84-83 win. His hot shooting lasted into Saturday’s contest against New Mexico Highlands, where Sanders dropped 28 points on 53% shooting in Regis’ 87-65 victory. Sanders averaged 32 points per game on the weekend and recorded 57/56/89 shooting splits. Regis has won seven games in a row with their latest victory, giving them sole possession of the No. 2 spot in the RMAC standings.
Honorable Mention: Cam Lowe, Black Hills State; Armon Muldrew, CSU Pueblo; Trey Ballard, Chadron State; Bradley Land, Colorado Christian; Harvey White, Colorado Mesa; Majok Deng, Colorado School of Mines; Brayden Carter, MSU Denver; Tre Dowdell, South Dakota Mines; Xavier Martinez, UCCS; Donaval Avila, Westminster.
Defensive Player of the Week: Cassius Carmichael, Fort Lewis (Jr., Forward, Glendale, Arizona)
Carmichael had a breakout week for the Skyhawks, helping his team go 1-1 against two nationally-ranked opponents. In Thursday’s matchup against No. 12 Colorado School of Mines, Carmichael hauled in a team-high seven rebounds, sent back two shots, and grabbed a pair of steals. The junior also scored eight points, helping the Skyhawks push the Orediggers to the end before falling 82-79. Carmichael and the Skyhawks bounced back against No. 23 Metropolitan State University of Denver, defeating the Roadrunners 81-74. In their winning effort, Carmichael tied for the team-high with six rebounds and a game-high three steals while also blocking one shot. When he wasn’t working on the defensive end, the Glendale, Arizona product was scoring, setting a season-high with 18 points.
Honorable Mention: Cam Lowe, Black Hills State; Sam Howery, CSU Pueblo; Zy Wright, Chadron State; Will Mortimore, Colorado Mesa; Alex Romack, Colorado School of Mines; Brayden Carter, MSU Denver; Trey Bryant, Regis; Tre Dowdell, South Dakota Mines; Will Becker, UCCS; Chase Potter, 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 with conference play shaking things up.
Colorado School of Mines holds the top spot in the RMAC standings, boasting an 11-1 conference record. This week, the Orediggers hit the road to take on Western Colorado and Westminster. Regis now has sole possession of the No. 2 spot in the RMAC standings after rattling off their seventh consecutive win. The Rangers aim to keep their winning streak alive as they also play Westminster and Colorado Mesa on the road. MSU Denver fell to No. 3 in the RMAC standings following an 81-74 loss to Fort Lewis on Saturday. The Roadrunners look to get back on track against the Mavericks and Western Colorado this week.
Fort Lewis, Black Hills State, Chadron State, South Dakota Mines, Adams State, Colorado Mesa, Western Colorado, Westminster, and New Mexico Highlands welcome in their opponents this week, as the nine teams look to defend their respective home courts.
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) continues to lead the league in scoring, averaging 17.6 points per game. On the season, Johnson is shooting 41% from the field, 37% from three, and 74% from the free throw line.
- Tristan Hurdle (Black Hills State) is the top three-point shooter in the conference, shooting 47.8% on the season, giving him the fourth-best three-point percentage in the nation.
- William Becker (UCCS) paces the league in field goal percentage, shooting 68% on the season. The graduate student has won two RMAC Defensive Player of the Week awards and has 10 double-doubles on the season, tying him for the 10th most in DII. The graduate student also leads the league in blocked shots (37/1.9) and rebounds (178/8.9).
- Stewart Erhart (Fort Lewis) leads the Skyhawks defensive unit that forces a league-leading 20 turnovers per game. Fort Lewis averages 12.48 steals per game, with Erhart averaging a pair himself. The Skyhawks also have the fifth most blocked shots on the season with 65 (3.1).
- Kobe Sanders (Regis) leads the league in assists with 4.5 per game and is a major contributor to the Rangers’ seven-game win streak. Over the past two weeks of action, Sanders is averaging 26 points per game.
Win Streaks of Note
| Team |
Streak |
Last Loss |
| Regis |
W7 |
1/9/25 at Black Hills State |
Five Programs in D2CSC South Central Region Rankings
- Colorado School of Mines (2), MSU Denver (6), Fort Lewis (T7), Regis (T7), and University of Colorado Colorado Springs (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 MSU Denver falls one spot. Fort Lewis and Regis remain tied but bump up to No. 7, and UCCS makes their way back into the top 10.