FREELAND, Mich. -- Three members of the Trine men's basketball team earned postseason honors from the Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association, the conference announced today.
Will Dixon (Indianapolis, Ind. / Zionsville) earned All-MIAA First Team honors for the third consecutive season. Ellis Cummings (Ottawa Hills, Ohio / Ottawa Hills) was named Trine's first recipient of the MIAA's Defensive Player of the Year award. Kyle Dodson (Centerville, Ohio / Centerville) rounded out the team's selections with his first career All-MIAA Second Team selection. The trio led the Thunder to a 14-11 overall record and a third-place finish in the conference with a 9-5 mark in league action.
Dixon became the second player in team history to earn All-MIAA First Team honors three times in his career. He led the MIAA with 4.7 assists per game, including 5.4 per game in conference play. His efficient 2.21 assist-to-turnover ratio ranked second in the league. The senior ranked third in the conference in scoring at 19.6 points per game and scored in double figures in every game this season. He was named MIAA Player of the Week twice this season and six times in his career.
Dixon's career numbers rank among the best in program history. His 1,784 points are tied for sixth and rank 11th among all players currently active at the Division III level. Dixon could move into the top four in scoring in team history with 24 points in the MIAA Tournament this weekend. He also ranks sixth in team history in steals (159) and eighth in assists (306). Earlier this year, he was recognized as a member of the CoSIDA Academic All-District team for his combined work athletically and in the classroom.
Cummings became Trine's first winner of Defensive Player of the Year honors since the school joined the MIAA in 2004. The junior led the conference and ranked sixth in the nation with an average of 1.83 blocks per game. He averaged 2.1 blocks per game in league play, including a six-block effort in a victory over Albion. Cummings' 44 blocks this season rank fourth in a season in team history. His play helped the Thunder lead the MIAA in scoring defense for the fourth consecutive season.
Cummings has blossomed into a key piece of the team's defensive efforts over the last three years. During that span, Cummings has blocked 82 shots, the fifth-most in team history. He also averaged a career-best 6.3 points and 6.2 rebounds per game this winter.
Dodson finished second on the Thunder in scoring to earn his first All-MIAA honor. The sophomore averaged a career-best 13.6 points per game and shot 48.6 percent from the field. His 43.3 percent three-point shooting percentage ranked sixth in the MIAA. Dodson also averaged a career-high five rebounds per game to go along with 2.4 assists and 1.2 steals. He set new career highs with 27 points at Alma and 10 assists against Hope.
Dodson is a career 44.8 percent shooter from three-point range, the third-best mark in school history. Nearly two-thirds of Dodson's points as a freshman came from three-point range. This year, Dodson's offensive development saw him double his production from inside the arc. He has averaged 12 points per game in his first two seasons at Trine.
Trine faces No.2 seed Calvin tomorrow at 5:30 p.m. in the MIAA Tournament at DeVos Fieldhouse. The winner advances to Saturday night's championship game. CLICK HERE for a preview of Friday's matchup.
The complete All-MIAA teams and award winners are listed below.
Most Valuable Player: Harrison Blackledge, Hope
Defensive Player of the Year: Ellis Cummings, Trine
2017 All-MIAA First Team
Harrison Blackledge, Hope
Chad Carlson, Hope
Will Dixon, Trine
Eric Ewing, Olivet
Trevor Gernaat, Alm
Dante Hawkins, Hope
2017 All-MIAA Second Team
Cam Denney, Calvin
Kyle Dodson, Trine
Tyler Edwards, Alma
Cody Stuive, Hope
Justine Webster, Adrian
Corey Wheeler, Albion