Clear Cut MIAC MVP

MOORHEAD, Minn. (3/01/16)---After completing one of the best careers in Concordia men's basketball history, senior Jordan Bolger (Apple Valley, Minn./Eastview HS) earned the league's top honor by being  named the MIAC Most Valuable Player as selected by the conference coaches.

Bolger and senior teammate Tom Fraase (Bismarck, N.D./Bismarck Century HS) were the only two Cobber players to earn MIAC postseason honors. Both athletes were named to the MIAC All-Conference Team while Bolger was also the team's selection on the All-MIAC Sportsmanship Team.

Bolger becomes the fourth player in program history to earn conference MVP honors. He is the first CC player since the 2008 season to win the award. Luke Linz, a two-time All-MIAC  performer earned the award in 2008 while 7-foot center  Garrett Byrne accomplished the feat in 1983 and Andy Askegaard claimed the award the year before in 1982 following the Cobber's MIAC title campaign.

Bolger earns MIAC All-Conference First Team honors for the third straight season while Fraase picks up his first conference postseason award.

The pair helped the Cobbers post a 16-10 overall record and a 13-7 mark in conference play. The team earned a spot in the MIAC playoffs for the second straight season and third in the past four years.  The tandem was a part of a special senior class of eight athletes who had three of the 10 15-win seasons in program history.

Bolger led the MIAC in scoring in conference games in 2016. He averaged 19.3 points per game in the team's 20 league games. Bolger was also tops in scoring in overall games with an 18.8 ppg average. Bolger was also second in the conference in rebounding in league games with an 8.9 rebounds per game average.

Bolger's dominance didn't end at points and rebounds as he finished in the top 10 in the MIAC in 13 different statistical categories. He was also named the MIAC Player of the Week on two occasions during the season.         

Bolger scored in double figures in all 20 league games and had double-digit rebound totals in eight games. His eight double-doubles were a career high for a single season.

Bolger also scored at least 20 points in 11 games and had a career-high 32 points against Hamline on Feb. 10. He had a career-high 15 rebounds against MIAC playoff champion St. Olaf on Dec. 9.

Bolger also passed a pair of milestones in his senior season to become only the third player in school history to score at least 1,000 points and grab 500 rebounds in a career.

Bolger joined fellow MIAC MVP Linz and John Fraase in the elite 1000/500 club when he collected his 500th career rebound on Dec. 2 vs. St. Thomas and scored his 1,000th point on Jan. 9 against St. John's. 

Bolger finished his career fifth on the school's all-time scoring list with 1,268 points. He also came away with 679 rebounds which is second on the school's all-time chart. 

Fraase was the team's top weapon from outside. He finished second on the team in scoring with a 13.7 points per game average in all games. He averaged 13.9 points in league games. Fraase was in the top 15 of the MIAC in scoring, 3-point field goals, 3-point field goal percentage, free throw percentage, steals and minutes played.

Fraase averaged 33.1 minutes per game in the 20 conference contests. He knocked down 44 3-pointers during the league campaign and shot 40.7% from outside the arc. He also connected on 80.4% of his free throw attempts and recorded 26 steals.

Fraase scored in double figures in 14 of the team's 20 MIAC games. He had at least one 3-pointer in 18 games and made a career-high five shots from long range when poured in a career-high 35 points against Gustavus on Feb. 6.

Fraase finished his career with 862 points. He was a career 40.6% shooter from 3-point range and made 78.2% of his 156 career free throw chances. His 132 career 3-pointers is in the top 5 of all time for the Cobber program.   

2015-16 MIAC Men's Basketball Awards
Joe Hutton Player-of-the-Year - Jordan Bolger, Concordia (Sr., Forward, Apple Valley, Minn. / Eastview)
Sixth Man-of-the-Year - Tianen Chen, Carleton (Jr., Forward, Germantown Hills, Ill. / Metamora Township)
Coach-of-the-Year - John Tauer, St. Thomas (Fifth season)

2015-16 MIAC Men's Basketball All-Conference Team

2015-16 MIAC Men's Basketball All-Defensive Team

2015-16 MIAC Men's Basketball All-Freshman Team

2015-16 MIAC Men's Basketball All-Conference Honorable Mention

2015-16 Men's Basketball All-MIAC Sportsmanship Team
Augsburg - Steele Krause (Sr., Parker, Colo. / Legend)
Bethel - Kyle von Schmidt-Pauli (Sr., Oakdale, Minn. / Tartan)
Carleton - John Eckert (Sr., North Judson, Ind.)
Concordia - Jordan Bolger (Sr., Apple Valley, Minn. / Eastview)
Gustavus - Brian Jacobs (Sr., Lake Crystal, Minn. / LCWM)
Hamline - Nick Powell (So., Harmony, Minn. / Filmore Central)
Macalester - Kyle Bernhard (Sr., Sleepy Hollow, Ill. / Dundee-Crown)
Saint John's - Mitch Wollin (Sr., Litchfield, Minn.)
Saint Mary's - Mark Schumacher (Sr., Perham, Minn.)
St. Olaf - Caleb Lunning (Sr., Zimmerman, Minn.)
St. Thomas - Will Dunn (Jr., Edina, Minn. / Benilde-St. Margaret's)