Ferris State's Hankins Named GLIAC Men's Basketball Player of the Year; 2017-18 All-GLIAC Teams Announced

Ferris State's Hankins Named GLIAC Men's Basketball Player of the Year; 2017-18 All-GLIAC Teams Announced

Awards Banquet Photos

GLIAC - Ferris State junior center Zach Hankins was selected the 2017-18 Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (GLIAC) Men's Basketball Player of the Year for the second consecutive season following voting conducted by the league's head coaches. Grand Valley State forward Jake Van Tubbergen was named GLIAC Freshman of the Year, while Ferris State's Andy Bronkema earned GLIAC Coach of the Year accolades for the second straight year.

PLAYER OF THE YEAR - Ferris State junior center Zach Hankins led the Bulldogs to a second consecutive outright GLIAC Regular-Season Championship this year as the Bulldogs became the first team in GLIAC North Division history to win 19 league games. Behind the play of the All-America center, Ferris State has posted a school-record 30 wins this year and climbed to #2 in the country with only a single setback on the year. Hankins has compiled 28 double-figure scoring performances and notched 10 rebounds or more in 15 contests while shooting 65% from the floor. He led the league in both rebounding (9.5 rpg.) and field goal percentage while also ranking among the league's scoring leaders at nearly 15 points per contest. His play has led FSU to a school-record tying 18 consecutive wins and a perfect (17-0) home mark this campaign heading into the GLIAC Semifinals.

FRESHMAN OF THE YEAR - After missing the first four games of the season due to injury, Grand Valley State forward Jake Van Tubbergen quickly became a focal point of the Laker attack. He finished second on the team in scoring average with 11.4 points a game while leading the team with 6.6 rebounds per contest and his .563 field goal percentage ranked fifth in the GLIAC for the regular season. Van Tubbergen scored in double figures 15 times during his freshman campaign, highlighted by a season-high 20-point performance against Davenport on February 10, and scored at least 10 points in eight straight games from Jan. 6 through February 15. He posted three double-doubles for the season, doing so against Saginaw Valley (Jan. 6), Purdue Northwest (Jan. 27) and Ashland (Feb. 15). Van Tubbergen added 33 assists on the offensive end and, defensively, contributed 15 blocks and 23 steals on the season. He blocked four shots in the February 15 contest with the Eagles.

COACH OF THE YEAR - Ferris State fifth-year coach Andy Bronkema has guided the Bulldogs to another historic season as FSU owns a school all-time best 30-1 overall record to date this year and is the nation's #2 team. This year, Bronkema led the Bulldogs to their second consecutive outright GLIAC Regular-Season Championship as FSU became the first team in GLIAC North Division history to win 19 league games in a season. His leadership has also helped the Bulldogs post a school-record tying 18 consecutive wins entering the GLIAC Semifinals and a perfect record (17-0) at home this year. The Bulldogs are also in line for their fourth consecutive trip to the NCAA Tournament and in position as the host to potentially win a fourth-straight GLIAC Tournament Championship this year.

Below are the complete all-conference teams:

2017-18 GLIAC Men's Basketball Postseason Awards & All-Conference Teams

Player of the Year: 
Zach Hankins - Ferris State

Freshman of the Year:
Jake Van Tubbergen - Grand Valley State

Coach of the Year:
Andy Bronkema - Ferris State

2017-18 All-GLIAC First Team

Name

School

Year

Pos.

Hometown

Drew Cushingberry Ferris State Sr. G Romeo, Mich.
Wendell Davis Ashland Sr. F Reynoldsburg, Ohio
Naba Echols Northern Michigan Jr. G Memphis, Tenn.
Zach Hankins Ferris State Jr. C Charlevoix, Mich.
Isaiah Johnson Northern Michigan Jr. G/F Whitefish Bay, Wis.
Chuck Key Wayne State Sr. F Detroit, Mich.
Noah King Ferris State Sr. F Detroit, Mich.
Kyle Monroe Michigan Tech Jr. F Green Bay, Wis.
Mike Wells Jr. Saginaw Valley Sr. G Delaware, Ohio
Akaemji Williams Lake Superior State Sr. G Pontiac, Mich.

2017-18 All-GLIAC Second Team

Name

School

Year

Pos.

Hometown

Austin Adams Tiffin Jr. Oregon, Ohio
Ronald Booth Wayne State Sr. G Detroit, Mich.
Hunter Hale Grand Valley State So. G Kalamazoo, Mich.
Ben Haraway Ashland Jr. G Norwalk, Ohio
Bryan Heath Michigan Tech Jr. G Taylor Ridge, Ill.
Trey McBride Northwood So. G Cincinnati, Ohio
Marcus Moore Wayne State Sr. G Lansing, Mich.
Michael Nicholson Lake Superior State Sr. C Clarkston, Mich.
Drew Noble Ashland So. C Louisville, Ohio
Jake Van Tubbergen Grand Valley State Fr. F Holland, Mich.

2017-18 GLIAC All-Defensive Team

Name

School

Year

Pos.

Hometown

Peter Firlik Ferris State Sr. G Grand Rapids, Mich.
Josh Goldschmidt Lake Superior State Sr. G Maple Grove, Minn.
Zach Hankins Ferris State Jr. C Charlevoix, Mich.
DJ Hoskins Saginaw Valley Fr. G Dayton, Ohio
Myles Howard Northern Michigan So. C Chicago, Ill.
Trey McBride Northwood So. G Cincinnati, Ohio
Marcus Moore Wayne State Sr. G Lansing, Mich.
Drew Noble Ashland So. C Louisville, Ohio
Sam Taylor Northern Michigan So. G Chicago, Ill.
Akaemji Williams Lake Superior State Sr. G Pontiac, Mich.