WICHITA, Kan. — The Kansas Collegiate Athletic Conference is pleased to announce the 2022-23 KCAC Men’s Basketball all-conference teams and award winners. Student-athletes were selected for all awards by vote of the KCAC head men’s basketball coaches.
Oklahoma Wesleyan won the regular-season conference championship with a 20-2 mark in conference play, which was part of a 25-3 overall record. The Eagles’ Jaden Lietzke was named the KCAC Men’s Basketball Player of the Year, after leading the conference in field goal percentage (70.3%), ranking sixth in the conference in points per game (15.4), fifth in total rebounds per game (7.6), and third in blocks per game (1.5). His teammate, Derrick Talton, Jr., was named the KCAC Men’s Basketball Defensive Player of the Year after ranking second in the conference in steals per game (2.8).
Justin Brookens of Bethany College was named the conference’s Newcomer of the Year. He ranked third in the KCAC in points per game (18.3), third in steals per game (2.3), and fourth in assists per game (3.3). Carmelo Yakubu of Bethel College was named the KCAC Men’s Basketball Freshman of the Year. Yakubu averaged 10.3 points per game, 5.4 rebounds per game, and 1.7 assists per game.
Anthony Monson, the head coach at Kansas Wesleyan University, was named the conference’s Coach of the Year by his peers.
The following athletes were selected by the conference men’s basketball coaches as All-KCAC First Team, Second Team, Third Team, Honorable Mention, Defensive Team, and Freshman Team.
Statistics and rankings can be found at the following links:
FIRST TEAM
| NAME | INSTITUTION | CLASS | POSITION | HOMETOWN |
| Jaden Lietzke (U)@ | Oklahoma Wesleyan University | So. | F/C | Owasso, Okla. |
| Cevin Clark (U) | Southwestern College | Jr. | G | Arkansas City, Kan. |
| Alex Littlejohn (U) | Kansas Wesleyan University | So. | F | Newton, Kan. |
| Solomon Clayton (U) | Bethany College | Sr. | F | Fort Dodge, Iowa |
| Clifford Byrd II (U) | Bethel College | Grad. | G | Memphis, Texas |
SECOND TEAM
| NAME | INSTITUTION | CLASS | POSITION | HOMETOWN |
| Brent Clark (U) | York University | Sr. | G | Dallas, Texas |
| Andrew O’Brien (U) | Southwestern College | Jr. | F | Halstead, Kan. |
| Jun Murdock (U) | Kansas Wesleyan University | Sr. | G | Wichita, Kan |
| Kaleb Stokes (U) | Oklahoma Wesleyan University | Jr. | F | Tulsa, Okla. |
| Justin Brookens (U)# | Bethany College | Sr. | G | Milwaukee, Wis. |
THIRD TEAM
| NAME | INSTITUTION | CLASS | POSITION | HOMETOWN |
| Derrick Talton Jr. (U)(D) | Oklahoma Wesleyan University | So. | G | Fort Worth, Texas |
| Cedric Rollerson | Sterling College | Jr. | G | Oklahoma City, Okla. |
| Deng Bol | Southwestern College | Sr. | G | Kansas City, Mo. |
| Bryant Mocaby | Bethel College | Jr. | G | Goddard, Kan. |
| Deondre Buggage | Ottawa University | So. | G | Gray, La. |
HONORABLE MENTION
| NAME | INSTITUTION | CLASS | POSITION | HOMETOWN |
| Brandon Bird | Oklahoma Wesleyan University | Sr. | G/F | Denton, Texas |
| Deshaud St. Martin | University of Saint Mary | Sr. | F | Danville, Ky. |
| Derrian Reed | Sterling College | Jr. | G | Colorado Springs, Colo. |
| Donte’ Simpson | Avila University | Sr. | G | Union City, Tenn. |
| Dylan Smith | Bethany College | So. | G | Stillwater, Okla. |
| Thatcher McClure | Tabor College | Jr. | F | McKinney, Texas |
| Ty Bland | Ottawa University | Sr. | F | Auburn Hills, Mich. |
| Easton Hunter | Kansas Wesleyan University | Jr. | F | Colwich, Kan. |
| Much Biel | York University | Jr. | F | Grand Island, Neb. |
| Owen Braxmeyer | McPherson College | So. | G | Manhattan, Kan. |
| Carmelo Yakubu (F) | Bethel College | Fr. | G | Houston, Texas |
| Tim Barbieri | Friends University | Jr. | F | Abilene, Kan. |
| Cooper Pierce | Southwestern College | Sr. | G/F | Arkansas City, Kan. |
| Antonio Watson | McPherson College | So. | G | Midwest City, Okla. |
| Dylan Phillip | Oklahoma Wesleyan University | So. | G/F | Humble, Texas |
DEFENSIVE TEAM
| NAME | INSTITUTION | CLASS | POSITION | HOMETOWN |
| Derrick Talton Jr. (D) | Oklahoma Wesleyan University | So. | G | Fort Worth, Texas |
| Clifford Byrd II | Bethel College | Jr. | G | Memphis, Texas |
| Deng Bol | Southwestern College | Jr. | G | Kansas City, Mo. |
| Jun Murdock | Kansas Wesleyan University | Sr. | G | Wichita, Kan. |
| Solomon Clayton | Bethany College | Fr. | F | Fort Dodge, Iowa |
ALL-FRESHMEN TEAM
| NAME | INSTITUTION | CLASS | POSITION | HOMETOWN |
| Carmelo Yakubu (F) | Bethel College | Fr. | G | Houston, Texas |
| Thatcher McClure | Tabor College | Fr. | F | McKinney, Texas |
| Al Emerllahu | Friends University | Fr. | G | San Antonio, Texas |
| Christian Williams | Friends University | Fr. | F | Wichita, Kan. |
| Zach Hidalgo | Southwestern College | Fr. | G | Hooker, Okla. |
(U) = Unanimous Selection
@= Selected “Player of the Year.”
# = Selected “Newcomer of the Year.”
(F)= Selected “Freshman of the Year.”
(D) = Selected “Defensive Player of the Year.”
