GREENVILLE, S.C. - Basketball awards season continues to roll on throughout the month of March, with the National Christian College Athletic Association's North Central Region honors. The University of Northwestern Men's Basketball team had three student-athletes represented across the three teams, with one receiving First Team honors.

Japheth Nyamari (Anoka, Minn./Anoka) was named to the North Central All-Regional First Team for the second-consecutive year, fresh off the heels of a First Team All-Conference selection, as well as a D3hoops.com Third Team All-Region 9 nod. The senior averaged a career-best 21.2 points and 5.6 rebounds per game in 2025-26, with his scoring average ranking second in the UMAC, fifth in NCCAA DI and 47th in NCAA Division III. The senior scored 30 or more points seven times throughout the season, including a career-high 40 in a February 4th win over UW-Superior, which ties him for fifth in program history for points in a single game, and was the fourth-highest scoring output in the NCCAA this season. His 10 three-pointers that night broke the program record as well, and on January 14th, the Anoka native eclipsed the 1,000-point mark for his career.

NCCAA North Central All-Regional Awards
Player of the Year: Austin Cripe, Bethel
Coach of the Year: Steve Drabyn, Bethel

First Team:
- Austin Cripe, Bethel
- Davaughn Hueitt, Hannibal-LaGrange
- Brandon Adorno, Trinity Christian
- Japheth Nyamari (Anoka, Minn./Anoka), Northwestern
- Alonis Peciulis, Bethel

Second Team:
- Garrett Greene, Trinity Christian
- Luke McBride, Bethel
- Josh Talton, Hannibal-LaGrange
- Kell Estepp, Hannibal-LaGrange
- Beau Jacquay, Bethel

Honorable Mention:
- Ian McDonald, Hannibal-LaGrange
- Jacob Hoefs (Highlands Ranch, Colo./Mountain Vista), Northwestern
- Aiden Cilladi, Trinity Christian
- Will Foster (Eden Prairie, Minn./Eden Prairie), Northwestern