Five Illinois Tech Players and One Coach Receive All-Independent Awards

The Association of Division III Independents named five Illinois Tech players first or second team All-Independent and head coach Todd Kelly was named All-Independent Coach of the Year.

Team captain Jake Digiorgio was named to the All-Independent First Team. Digiorgio averaged an impressive 13.7 points, 11.6 rebounds, and 1.4 steals per game. He shot an extremely efficient 48.7% from the floor during the course of the season. Not only did his rebounds per game total lead the AD3I, the forward’s 313 total rebounds and 885 total minutes played also led all Division III Independent players. Digiorgio led the Scarlet Hawks all season with his rebound total and average–highlighted by a milestone for Illinois Tech Athletics when Digiorgio broke the all-time Scarlet Hawks rebound record with 768 total boards on January 31 against Dominican. The junior had a streak of 15 straight games during the season with at least 10 rebounds, collecting 11 double-doubles during that stretch and adding two more during the last games of the season for a total of 13. Digiorgio was also recognized as the AD3I Player of the Week in early January.

Max Hisatake was also named to the All-Independent First Team. The Scarlet Hawks’ big man led the team in field goal percentage, hitting 52.8% of his shots with 12.2 points per game. Hisatake also led Illinois Tech with 2.5 blocks per game and led all AD3I with 67 total blocks. The sophomore brought down 279 total rebounds–second amongst Division III Independents behind Digiorgio–and averaged 10.3 rebounds per game, good for third in the AD3I. The center had 10 double-doubles on the 2017–18 season.

The third Scarlet Hawk named to the All-Independent First Team was Anthony Mosley Jr.  He led the Scarlet Hawks in points per game (14.5), assists per game (4.2) and steals per game (1.6). The guard was tied for the team lead in minutes per game with Digiorgio at 32.8. Among Division III Independent players, Mosley Jr. placed fourth in points per game and came in fifth in terms of free throw percentage with a respectable 74.1% make percentage. The junior scored in double-digits in an incredible 17 games this season, including a span in which he did so during 10 straight contests.

Malik Howze was named to the All-Independent Second team. The guard placed fifth in the AD3I in both assists with 90 and minutes with 745. But where Howze really shined was from the free throw line, where he was first among All-Independent players with 99 made free throws and a make-percentage of 82.5%. The junior posted a well-rounded line of 13.7 points per game–tied for second on the Scarlet Hawks–plus 4.5 rebounds per game and 3.9 assists per game. Howze scored 10 points or more in 17 games, including nine games in a row during the heart of the season.

Junior Jake Bruns was also named to the All-Independent Second Team. Bruns earned increasing minutes as the season progressed and shined in those opportunities. The guard became the three-point specialist for the Scarlet Hawks, leading the team with 52 made threes–which was fifth in the AD3I– and a 44.8% three-point shot percentage, second among Division III Independents. Bruns hit a remarkable six threes twice during the 2017–18 season: January 25 against Maranatha and February 14 at MSOE.

Head Coach Todd Kelly was named the All-Independent Coach of the Year. Kelly led the team to a 19-8 record during the 2017–18 campaign–the best in the AD3I. Kelly has guided Illinois Tech to the postseason in two consecutive years and has amassed 45 wins over the span of his three years with the Scarlet Hawks.