Salem, Va. - Moments after representing Alma College in the 2016 Reese's NABC Division III College All-Star Game, senior Scott Nikodemski (Rockford, Mich./Rockford) was named a First-Team All-American by D3hoops.com, becoming the first player in school history to earn the honor.
"It's really unbelievable, but I could not have had the success I have had without my teammates," Nikodemski said. "I owe a lot to the coaches for putting me in the right position to succeed.
Nikodemski, who was named the Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association's Most Valuable Player, has a long list of accolades this season. He received First Team All-MIAA honors for the second straight year and was named First Team All-Great Lakes Region by both D3hoops.com and the National Association of Basketball Coaches. In addition, he received Second Team All-America laurels from the NABC. Nikodemski paced the Scots with 14.4 points per game, the highest scoring average of his career. In addition, he shot a school-record 63.9 percent from the field and dished out a school-record 156 assists. Over his 102 games with the Alma College basketball program - second most in school history - Nikodemski finished with a school-record career field goal percentage of 59.2 percent while ranking third overall in career assists (371) and steals (126).
The D3hoops.com All-American Team marks the 19th year the website has produced the selections. The All-Region and All-American Teams are the only ones recognized by the NCAA for Division III men's basketball. Click here to view the 2016 D3hoops.com All-American Teams.
Nikodemski was also one of 18 players to participate in the Division III All-Star Game, which took place prior to the NCAA Division III Men's Basketball Championship Game. Nikodemski came off the bench to play 21 minutes and score seven points on 3-for-5 shooting and made his only three-point attempt of the afternoon. Nikodemski also dished out four assists for the West All-Stars, which fell to the East by a 129-120 margin. Louisiana College's Anthony Gaines, Jr., led the East with 21 points, while Rutgers-Newark's Jordan McDaniel paced the West with a game-high 26 points as 14 of the 18 players in the game scored in double figures.
"It was an awesome time playing with all these talented players," Nikodemski said. "It was completely different from how I and Alma College play basketball so it was definitely a change. Being an all-star game, there was a lot of talent and most of the players were used to getting their shots. Playing for Alma, I played for the great shot so it was different, but I had a lot of fun with those guys and also got to meet some great guys."
As part of the All-Star Game festivities, Nikodemski participated in community outreach in the Salem area, reading a local middle school, attended the championship banquet with the four participating teams on Thursday (March 17), and took part in a shoot-around with local members of the Special Olympics. Nikodemski and the NABC All-Stars were also demonstrators in drills for a coaches clinic.