Voss leads All-GPAC List Littered with DWU Men

MITCHELL, S.D. – With the team set to find out who it will face in the first round of the NAIA Division II National Tournament, Dakota Wesleyan University picked up several men's basketball All-GPAC honors, it was announced Wednesday.

Senior forward Jalen Voss (Worthington, Minn.) led the way, being named the Great Plains Athletic Conference Player-of-the-Year. Voss has been the consistent leader for DWU this season, averaging 21 points and 5.8 rebounds per contest. He was named GPAC Player-of-the-Week three times in 2014-15, while helping the Tigers to a 28-4 overall record and a share of the conference regular season title. Voss was also named to the All-GPAC First Team for the third time (junior and sophomore seasons). Voss was an honorable mention and GPAC Freshman of the Year in 2011-12.

The GPAC Defensive Player-of-the-Year is also a Tiger, with senior forward Luke Bamberg (Corsica, S.D.) taking the honor. Tiger fans know that the things Bamberg does for the team do not always show up on the stat sheet, and the other coaches around the conference saw it as well by giving him the award. Bamberg averaged a team-high 6.6 rebounds and one block per game, while coming away with nearly one steal per contest. Bamberg's effort on the defensive end provided some of the most unforgettable moments of the DWU season so far. Bamberg was also named an All-GPAC Honorable Mention.

In just his second year at the helm, DWU Head Coach Matt Wilber was named the GPAC co-Coach-of-the-Year, an honor he shares with Morningside College's Jim Sykes. Wilber guided the Tigers to 28 wins so far in 2014-15, matching the school record for victories in a season. The Tigers were also 16-1 at home and put together two win streaks of at least 10 games.

Joining Voss on the All-GPAC First Team is senior guard Kris Menning (Corsica, S.D.). Menning was second on the team in scoring with 17.5 points per game and added 5.3 rebounds, while chipping in with more than three assists and nearly one block each time out. He heads into the national tournament ranked No. 8 in the NAIA in 3-point field goal percentage at 45.6 percent and is 11^th in total 3-pointers made with 93. Menning was named the GPAC Player-of-the-Week twice and led the Tigers in scoring seven times this season. He scored his 1,000^th-career point in a game at Northwestern College last month. Menning was an Honorable Mention as a junior.

The All-GPAC Second Team had two members from DWU, including junior guard Trae Bergh (Crooks, S.D.) for second straight season. Bergh recently scored his 1,000^th-career point in the Tigers GPAC Tournament quarterfinal win over Concordia University at the Corn Palace. He averaged 15.9 points per game and led the team with 43 steals. Bergh ranks second in the NAIA in free-throw percentage at 90.5 percent and is sixth in assist to turnover ratio at 3.5. Bergh was named GPAC Player-of-the-Week once this season.

After transferring for his senior season from Black Hills State University, guar Joey Mitchell (Tulare, S.D.) earned a spot on the All-GPAC Second Team. He averaged 10.5 points and 3.2 assists for the Tigers, while ranking second in the nation in assist-to-turnover ratio (3.64). Mitchell scored his 1,000^th-career-college point in the Tigers' last game against Midland University.

The Tigers are ranked No. 5 in the latest NAIA Coaches' Poll and will find out tonight who they play and when for the first round of the National Tournament. The DWU basketball team is hosting a Selection Show viewing party for family, friends and fans of the team starting at 7 p.m. at Blarney's Sports Bar and Grill in Mitchell.