Kankakee Times

After winning their fifth-consecutive CCAC regular-season title, the Olivet Nazarene University men's basketball team had four Tigers earn all-conference recognition.

Tyler Schmidt was named the CCAC's Men's Basketball Player of the Year and was placed on the all-CCAC first team, Landon Pflederer was named to the second team, Caleb Swearingen earned all-conference honorable mention and head coach Nick Birkey was tabbed as the league's Coach of the Year as the conference announced its postseason men's basketball awards.

Schmidt was recognized unanimously as the conference's top player, becoming the fifth Tiger in as many years to be named the CCAC Player of the Year. It also marks the second time in as many years that he has been named first team all-conference, being the only player to repeat on this year's five-member all-conference first team.

The junior guard from Valparaiso, Ind. finished among the top ten players in the league in five separate categories highlighted by his conference-leading 23.5 scoring average, which also ranks sixth-best in the nation.

Schmidt ranked second in the CCAC in assists per game (5.0), third in three-point field goal percentage (.485), fifth in free throw percentage (.833), and tenth in overall field goal percentage (.554), as well. He was a seven-time conference player of the week and also captured the award at the NAIA national level once.

Schmidt became the 48th player in program history to score 1,000 career points when he hit the milestone in a win over Cardinal Stritch on Dec. 5. He needed just 60 games to hit the mark and currently sits at 1,501 career points, good for 18th on the program's all-time scoring list.

After receiving honorable mention a year ago, Pfelderer made the jump to the CCAC's second team this season. The 6-1 junior point guard from Tremont, Ill. averaged 12.1 points per game and 4.7 assists per game this season, both second-best marks for the ONU team.

Pflederer knocked down a team-leading 64 three-point attempts this season, connecting at a 39-percent clip from deep (64-of-164). He currently ranks 19th all-time in program history for made three-pointers (152) and 15th in career assists (395).

Swearingen averaged 9.2 points and 5.5 rebounds per game, leading the team in the latter, to receive an honorable mention from the CCAC. He scored in double figures 10 times, including a season-best 21 points in the season finale against Saint Xavier to help ONU clinch the regular-season championship.

Birkey directed the program to its fifth consecutive regular-season crown to earn his third-consecutive and fourth-overall CCAC Coach of the Year award. Under Birkey, the Tigers have amassed a 122-28 record during his five-year tenure. He also notched his 100th career win this season with a 90-82 win over Wisconsin Lutheran during Homecoming.

The men's basketball team will continue its postseason run at the NAIA National Tournament, with the opening round set to begin on March 7. The Tigers will find out their opening-round matchup during the NAIA Selection Show on Thursday night.

Original source can be found here.