Feb. 27, 2013

The Iowa Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (IIAC) has announced that Luther College was presented all three of the major men's basketball awards for the 2012-13 season following a vote of the league’s coaches.

Tyler Wedemeier was selected the Most Valuable Player, headlining the 15-member all-Iowa Conference teams. Wedemeier is a two-time all-league pick and was last year's IIAC Defensive Player of the Year. Wedemeier led the Norse in scoring and rebounding producing 428 points and grabbing 250 rebounds. He led the squad in scoring 17 times and rebounding 22 times while posting 12 double-doubles. He completed his career as the sixth player in Luther history to score over 1,000 points and record over 750 rebounds. He ranks 11th all-time with 1,161 points and sixth all-time with 759 rebounds. This year he also set the single season blocked shots record with 75, increasing his school record to 247. The next closest is Mike Bockenstedt '96 who tallied 114.

John Androus was named the Defensive Player of the Year. Androus is the third consecutive Luther player selected for the award, following Jacy Dillahunty in 2011, the award's inaugural year, and Wedemeier a year ago. He averaged 8.6 points, 5.2 rebounds, 2.6 assists and 1.0 steals per game, ranking ninth among league players in steals, 10th in rebounding, 11th in assists, and 26th in scoring. Androus also shot 75.9 percent (63-of-83) at the free throw line to rank eighth.

Head coach Mark Franzen was named the Iowa Conference Coach of the Year. Picked to finish fourth in the IIAC Preseason Coaches' Poll, Franzen led the Norse to an 11-3 Conference mark and a share of the program's second title in three years. This is the second time Franzen has been named IIAC Men’s Basketball Coach of the Year and his fifth IIAC Coach of the Year honor overall. He was also honored two years ago when the Norse won their first title since 1984, and previously earned IIAC Coach of the Year honors in men's golf (2000, 2004) and women's golf (2002) while at Wartburg.

Zach Matos-Pritchard was named first team all-conference. Matos-Pritchard finished second on the squad in both scoring and rebounding. He tallied 290 points while shooting over 46 percent from the field and nearly 70 percent from the free throw line. He was credited with 114 rebounds for an average of 4.4 per game. This is the first time Matos-Pritchard has been so honored. 

Complete Iowa Conference All-Conference Release