by Alan Babbitt
Up and down the basketball court, Hope College guard Evan Thomas excelled this season.
Especially in Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association play.
The junior from Okemos, Michigan (Okemos) led the league in scoring and rebounding and spearheaded the Flying Dutchmen's rise from fourth in the MIAA Preseason Coaches Poll to MIAA champion.
For his efforts, Thomas has been voted as the MIAA's Most Valuable Player by the league's coaches.It is the 30th time a Hope men's basketball student-athlete has been chosen as league MVP. Thomas is the Hope's first MIAA MVP first since Harrison Blackledge in 2017.
Hope's MIAA MVPs
Thomas headlines an All-MIAA Team that includes teammate and fellow first-team selection Clayton Dykhouse.
MIAA Release
"It was an experienced and senior-heavy league this year and for Evan to earn the MVP award while leading the league in scoring and rebounding was quite an accomplishment," head coach Greg Mitchell said. "There were numerous games where he put us on his back and carried us to wins, which is exactly what the great players do. He was determined to help this group of seniors experience a championship season prior to their careers ending.
Thomas concluded the regular season as the MIAA's leader in the following categories: games started (14), minutes (475), minutes per game (33.9), field goals (98), free throws (91), defensive rebounds (112), total boards (135), rebounds per contest (9.6), points (301), and points per game (21.5).
Also, Thomas earned MIAA Athlete of the Week accolades five times this season.
"Evan took a huge leap in his game from his sophomore to junior year. He emerged this fall with a different mentality and approach to the game due to the off-season sacrifices that he made," Mitchell said. "On top of those strides, he took an even bigger jump in his leadership skills which affected our entire team's approach to the season. I could not be more proud of his progress as a player and leader and then to see it impact his team the way it did makes it that much more impressive."
In 14 MIAA games, Dykhouse finished second on Hope at 12.9 points per game. The junior from Zeeland, Michigan (Zeeland East) also topped the Flying Dutchmen with 4.0 assists and 1.9 steals per league game.
"What an awesome honor for Clayton to earn a spot on the MIAA Fist Team," Mitchell said. "Clay is an absolute gym rat and has earned every accolade that has come his way. He has made incredible progress over the last two years, expanding his game at both ends of the floor.
"As hard as he works to improve his skill set, he is equally focused on the lofty goals he has as a leader and how best he can help us win! The point guard position is demanding and carries a lot of responsibility with it...for a team to win a championship indicates the effectiveness of its point guard. Clay has been our guy who delivered in that role."
