Northern Michigan University’s Sam Schultz, center, pulls down a rebound with teammate Jackson Dudek, left, and Lakeland’s Aiden Polzin in on the play during their game played at NMU’s PEIF gym on Wednesday. (Photo courtesy NMU)
MARQUETTE — Junior Sam Schultz has been named the GLIAC Defensive Player of the Week after the Northern Michigan University men’s basketball team split a pair of games during the past week.
He pulled down 21 rebounds, an average of 10.5 per game, as the Wildcats defeated Lakeland 98-71 at home on Wednesday before falling to Concordia-St. Paul in St. Paul, Minnesota, 108-101 on Saturday to leave their record even at 3-3.
Among the finalists for the conference defensive award was Marquette Senior High School graduate Marius Grazulis of Grand Valley State.
This conference weekly honor was the first won by an NMU player in the two weeks of the award being handed out this season.
Schultz leads the GLIAC with a 10.8 rebound-per-game average, which is also 19th best in NCAA Division II. In NMU’s six games, he’s been amazingly consistent on the boards, pulling down double-digit rebounds three times and gathering in exactly nine rebounds in the other three contests.
A 6-foot-7 junior forward from Aurora, Illinois, Schultz is pulling down an average 6.5 defensive boards and 4.3 offensive boards a game, both also leading the conference, as the offensive-rebound average is 12th in the country.
He was more than just a rebounder in last week’s games, recording three steals and three assists vs. C-SP, and a blocked shot, an assist and hitting on all four of his free throws for 18 points in limited minutes against Lakeland.
For the season, he is also averaging 12.5 points per game, shooting 52.6% from the floor.
With the Wildcats not playing another road game until January, they have four home nonconference games over the next 10 days, starting with former GLIAC member Hillsdale at 7 p.m. today at Northern’s PEIF gym.
NMU also hosts Minnesota State-Moorhead at 1 p.m. Saturday, Minnesota-Duluth at 1 p.m. Sunday and Viterbo at 5 p.m. on Thursday, Nov. 30.
Information compiled by Journal Sports Editor Steve Brownlee. His email address is sbrownlee@miningjournal.net.
