| March 4, 2003
MOUNT VERNON, IOWA . . . The Iowa
Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (IIAC) announced today that
Buena Vista University sophomore guard Eric Wiebers (Denison,
Iowa/Denison-Schleswig HS) has been named the 2002-03 Men’s Basketball
Most Valuable Player and Buena Vista Head Coach Brian Van
Haaften has been named 2002-03 Men’s Basketball Coach of
the Year.
Wiebers finished tied for second in the Conference
in scoring (14.8 points/game), 11th in the Conference in assists
(2.88/game) and 13th in steals (1.31). He was one of only two players
to finish in the top-15 in all three categories. He led the Conference
in 3-point field goals made (3.0/game) and ranked fourth in 3-point
field goal percentage (44.9 percent) in 16 games.
Overall, Wiebers averaged 15.0 points per game
and 2.9 assists per game. He has ranked among the national leaders
most of the season in 3-point field goal percentage (48.3 percent).
Wiebers led the Beavers in scoring nine times, most on the team
that had seven different players lead them in scoring in their 28
games.
Van Haaften led Buena Vista to its second straight
Conference title and fourth in the last seven seasons. The Beavers
are the first IIAC team to win back-to-back outright Conference
titles since Central won four straight outright titles from 1977-80.
They led the IIAC in scoring offense (79.0 points/game), scoring
margin (+12.6), field goal percentage (48.5 percent), field goal
percentage defense (41.1 percent) and rebounding margin (+11.1).
Buena Vista enters the NCAA Tournament winners of 18 straight games
and with a 25-3 overall record (16-2 in the IIAC). Van Haaften was
also named IIAC Coach of the Year in 1997, 2000 and 2002.
The IIAC also announced today the Men’s Basketball
All-Conference Team. The 15-member team includes the Conference
MVP, seven First Team players and seven Second Team players. Buena
Vista, Cornell and Wartburg each had three players earn All-Conference
honors. Buena Vista and Cornell each had two First Team selections
and Wartburg had two Second Team selections.
The complete 2002-03 IIAC All-Conference Men’s
Basketball Team is here.
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