Hoglund and Harden secure First Team nod, Ahmadu named Honorable Mention

MITCHELL, S.D. – After a finishing the 2018-19 regular season at 22-9, three members of the Dakota Wesleyan University men's basketball team were named to the All-GPAC team. Ty Hoglund (Dell Rapids, S.D.) and Nick Harden (Chicago, Ill.) were named All-GPAC First Team, while senior Aaron Ahmadu (Houston, Texas) was named All-GPAC Honorable Mention, it was announced by the conference Wednesday.

 Hoglund leads the team in scoring, averaging 25.9 points per game. The junior guard leads the conference in that category and finished fifth in the NAIA as well. Hoglund also ranks sixth in the nation in total scoring with 778 points this season and seventh in the country in free-throw percentage at 86.6 percent. Hoglund also leads the team in 3-point field goals made with 85 and shot 40.9 percent from the 3-point line. The Dell Rapids, S.D., native tallied four games scoring 40 points or more this season, including a career-high against Antelope Valley (Calif.) on Dec. 20, where he scored 45 points in the Tiger victory. Hoglund currently sits in sixth on the men's basketball all-time scoring list with 1,951 career points. Hoglund is a three-time recipient of All-GPAC First Team honors.

 Joining Hoglund on the All-GPAC First Team is Nick Harden. In his first season with the program, Harden made an immediate impact, scoring 17.8 points per contest, and leads the team in assists with 114 and steals at 77 this season. The Chicago, Ill., native finished third in the conference in assists per game with 3.8 and was second in steals averaging 2.5 steals a game. He also finished fifth in both categories in the NAIA. Harden had his best performance on Dec. 29 against Peru State (Neb.) where Harden scored a career-high 35 points on 4-of-7 shooting from the 3-point line.

 In his fifth season with DWU, Ahmadu collected All-GPAC Honorable Mention for the first time in his career. The senior guard averaged 10 points per game and grabbed 104 rebounds this season. Ahmadu scored double-figures in 17 games this year including a career-high 25 points and 11 rebounds in the Tiger victory over Northwestern College on Feb. 20 in the first round of the GPAC Tournament. The Houston, Texas, native connected on 45 3-pointers this season for 36.3 percent and finished second on the team in assists with 82 total assists. Ahmadu has been a part of five NAIA national tournament teams over his career and was a member of the 2014-2015 GPAC regular season Co-Champion team and NAIA National runner-up team.

 The NAIA Division II Men's Basketball National Tournament Selection Show begins at 5 p.m. tonight.