MILWAUKEE, Wis.—The Illinois Tech men’s basketball team put together a strong first season in the Northern Athletics Collegiate Conference (NACC), advancing all the way to the league’s championship game. It is no surprise that Tech is well represented on the league’s postseason awards list, with Jake Digiorgio earning All-NACC First Team honors and Max Hisatake garnering an All-NACC Second Team distinction and the Co-Defensive Player of the Year award.
Hisatake, a junior out of Las Vegas, Nevada, solidified his reputation as one of the league’s top centers and defensive stalwarts. The big man averaged a double-double himself, tallying 12.2 points and 10.3 rebounds per game, with his per-game rebounding average tying for third in the NACC. He also ranked second in the league in blocks per game (1.7) while also recording 1.1 steals per game. Tech led the NACC in both points allowed per game (64.0) and opponent’s field goal percentage (39.3%) by a wide margin, with Hisatake’s presence being one of the main reasons why.
Digiorgio was one of the NACC’s best players all season long, ranking first in the conference in rebounds per game (12.7), total rebounds (355), defensive rebounds (222), offensive rebounds (133), defensive rebounds per game (7.9), and tied for first in offensive rebounds per game (4.8). Nationally, he ranked second in total rebounds, fourth in offensive rebounds per game, fifth in total rebounds per game, and seventh in double-doubles (17). His 12.3 points per game average led the Scarlet Hawks. The Ironwood, Michigan native finished his career with 1,203 rebounds, the most in Illinois Tech’s Division III era.