PRESS RELEASE

BURNSVILLE, Minn. – The Northern State University men’s basketball team highlighted Thursday’s Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference men’s basketball release with three All-Conference team members, the NSIC North Division Player of the Year, and NSIC Coach of the Year.
 
Sam Masten earned the Player of the Year title and grabbed first team honors, while Jacksen Moni and Jordan Belka were named to the first and second team respectively. Saul Phillips capped off the release for the Wolves earning his second NSIC Coach of the Year honor.
 
Phillips recorded his fourth straight winning season at Northern State, holding an 88-24 (.786) record with the Wolves. He notched the 300th victory of his coaching career on February 10 versus Bemidji State and currently sits at 303 career wins. Phillips has led the Wolves to three NSIC Championships in his four seasons. In 2022-23, NSU ranks in the top-5 nationally in assist/turnover ratio (1.92), 3-point attempts (30.2), and 3-point field goals (11.5). He was named the NSIC North Division Coach of the Year in 2021 and has coached two NSIC Players of the Year in Masten and Parker Fox.
 
Masten leads Northern State averaging 18.4 points, 7.0 rebounds, and 6.4 assists per game. He shoots a team best 56.8% from the floor, as well as 41.4% from the 3-point line and 78.6% from the foul line. The Colorado native has scored double figures in every contest this season, recording three double-doubles and one triple double. He ranks in the top-10 of the NSIC in scoring, rebounding, field goal percentage, and assist/turnover ratio, and leads the league in assists. In addition, Masten sits top-10 in the country in assist/turnover ratio, total assists, and assists per game. He is a 6-time NSIC Player of the Week,  D2CIDA National Player of the Week, and 2022-23 CSC Academic All-District team member.

Moni has started all 27 games he has appeared in this season, sitting second on the team averaging 15.6 points and 4.9 rebounds per game. The sophomore is shooting 49.4% from the floor, 36.7% from the 3-point line, and 75.9% from the foul line, adding a team best 30 blocks. Moni tallied 21 double-figure scoring games this season and is averaging 31.0 minutes per game.
 
Belka has started all 28 games for the Wolves this season, averaging 13.3 points and 6.1 rebounds per game. He is shooting 47.5% from the floor, 35.2% from the 3-point line, and a team best 84.2% from the foul line. The Minnesota native tallied 48 assists, 24 blocks, and 20 steals thus far and is averaging 28.1  minutes played per game. He became a member of the Northern State 1000 point club, racking up over 1200 points currently and has played in the most games in program history (146). Belka earned CSC Academic All-District honors earlier this week.