Ferris State National Champion Duo Honored As Nation's Top Coach And Player At NABC Awards Show
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Big Rapids, Mich. - The Ferris State University men's basketball program was well-represented at the 2018 National Association of Basketball Coaches (NABC) Guardians of the Game Awards Show, which took place on Sunday (April 1) night in conjunction with the NCAA Division I Final Four in San Antonio, Texas.
FSU head coach Andy Bronkema, who led the Bulldogs to the school's first national championship this year, was honored as the NABC Division II National Coach of the Year while junior center Zach Hankins (Charlevoix) received the NABC D2 National Player of the Year honor at the awards show.
The Bulldog duo was joined at the NABC Awards Banquet by FSU assistant coach Jim Lake, Ferris State University President Dr. David Eisler and his wife, Patsy, along with Zach's sister, Allison and former FSU head coach Tom Ludwig and his wife, Sue.
The annual Guardians of the Game Awards Show takes place each year in conjunction with the Final Four and honors the top players and coaches in the country from all levels of competition.
Ferris State, which captured the school's first D2 National Championship this past season, capped a magical season which saw FSU match the all-time NCAA Division II record for most wins in a year while finishing with a 38-1 mark. FSU also won its second consecutive Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (GLIAC) Regular Season Championship, a fourth-straight GLIAC Tournament title and the Midwest Regional title.
Bronkema earned the National Coach of the Year honor and was recognized as the nation's top coach this year by both Division II Bulletin and the Basketball Times along with the NABC. He has guided Ferris State to four consecutive NCAA tournament appearances. Over five seasons under Bronkema, the Bulldogs have a 123-41 won-lost record, a winning percentage of .750.
Finally, Hankins was selected by the NABC as the country's top performer and earned the same distinction from D2 Bulletin. Hankins, whose dominant post play was pivotal as Ferris State advanced to its first NCAA Division II Elite Eight in 30 seasons, led Division II in total blocks for the second straight season and was ranked among the national leaders in field goal percentage. He set new school single-season records with 380 rebounds and a 71.1% field goal percentage this campaign while being a consensus All-America choice and claiming both the GLIAC and Midwest Region Player of the Year awards for the second consecutive campaign.
The Bulldogs topped Northern State University, 71-69, in the national championship game last week in Sioux Falls, S.D. Ferris State finished the season with a program record 38-1 won-lost record and won its final 26 games of the year.
Watch The Facebook Live Replay Of The Awards Show Here:
https://www.facebook.com/nabc1927/videos/2089094191309597/