Northwest Missouri State men’s basketball senior DeShaun Cooper was named the MIAA Player of the Year in a release from the conference office on Tuesday. Zach Schneider was named the conference’s Freshman of the Year. The awards are voted upon by the league’s head coaches.

Cooper, who also earned first-team honors in 2011-12, was a unanimous first-team selection and was joined by Dillon Starzl who earned second team honors. Senior Bryston Williams was named to the All-Defensive team and also earned league honorable mention accolades with sophomore Conner Crooker.

The Bearcats have had three Player of the Year honors since 2004, as Cooper joins Hunter Henry (2007) and Kelvin Parker (2004) as recent award recipients. Cooper earned second team honors in 2011. Schneider becomes the fourth Bearcat to earn the Freshman of the Year award and the first since 2009-10 when Cooper won the award. Williams is now the seventh player to be named to the All-Defensive team.

Northwest earned the No. 2 seed in the conference tournament and will await the winner of the Southwest Baptist vs. Emporia State game. The quarterfinal game will be played at 6 p.m. on Friday, March 7, at Municipal Auditorium in Kansas City, Mo.

— Northwest Sports Information —