Veenstra Named MIAA's MVP in Men's Basketball;
Four Calvin Players Named to All-MIAA Teams
GRAND RAPIDS, MI - For the second straight year, Calvin College junior Jeremy
Veenstra has been named the MIAA's Most Valuable Player in men's basketball.
A native of Kalamazoo and a graduate of Kalamazoo Christian High School,
Veenstra is the sixth player in Calvin men's basketball history to receive the
MIAA's MVP award in back-to-back years. Other Calvin players to have done so
include Mark Veenstra (1974, 75, 76, 77), Dan Davis (1988, 1989), Bill Sall
(1989, 1990), Steve Honderd (1992, 1993) and Aaron Winkle (1999, 2000). In
addition, Veenstra has been named to the All-MIAA 1st team for the third
straight year. Joining Veenstra on the All-MIAA 1st team from Calvin is
sophomore forward Chris Prins. Named to the All-MIAA 2nd team from Calvin were
junior forward Rob Dykstra and sophomore guard Kevin Broene.
A 6-6 forward, Veenstra averaged 18.1 points and 8.9 rebounds a game this year
while connecting on 48.7 percent of his field goal attempts and 68.9 percent of
his free throw attempts. He also averaged just under 3.0 assists-per-game and
blocked a team-leading 42 shots. In league play, he finished second in the MIAA
scoring race with 186 points for an average of 15.5 points a game. He also
finished second in the league in blocked shots-per-game (1.75) and third in
rebounding average (7.8). Over the course of the year, Veenstra had nine
double-double efforts to boost his career total to 23 double-doubles. He also
scored in double-figures in all 27 of Calvin's games this year to extend his
double-figure scoring streak to 45 games. He was also named MIAA Player of the
Week four times.
Prins is a 6-4 forward from Escondido, California. He is a graduate of
Escondido Calvin Christian High School and is making his first appearance on the
All-MIAA 1st team. This year, Prins averaged 13.3 points, 4.1 rebounds and
nearly two steals-per-game. He also shot 82.4 percent from the free throw line;
a team-leading 45.8 percent (22-of-48) from three-point range and 46.7 percent
from the field overall. In league games, he finished tied for seventh in the
MIAA scoring race with 152 points for an average of 12.7 points a game. He
also tied for sixth in the MIAA in free throw percentage (.800) and
steals-per-game (1.42) and second in three-point percentage (.522 on 12-of-22
shooting).
Dykstra is a native of Byron Center and is a graduate of Wyoming Tri-unity
Christian High School. A 6-4 forward, Dykstra averaged 6.9 points and 6.7
rebounds a game. In league games, he finished 14th in the MIAA scoring race (92
points) and was fifth in rebounding average (5.8). Broene is a 6-3 guard from
Grand Rapids and a graduate of Grand Rapids Christian High School. The first
third generation player in Calvin men's basketball history, Broene finished
one made free throw away from breaking his father Greg's school record for
singles season free throw percentage. As a senior during the 1973-74 season,
Greg Broene connected on 46-of-50 free throw attempts to establish a Calvin
single season record of 92.0 percent. This year, his son Kevin Broene connected
on 81-of-90 free throw attempts for a sparkling 91.0 percent free throw clip.
In league games, Broene was 33-of-36 for an MIAA-leading free throw percentage
of 91.7 percent. Broene also averaged 12.5 points a game overall and in league
games, finished ninth in the MIAA scoring race with 140 points for an average of
11.7 points-a-game. He also connected on 41.1 percent of his three-point
attempts and in league games, shot 42.5 percent from beyond the arc to rank
fifth in the MIAA in three-point field goal percentage.
Also receiving honorable mention recognition from the MIAA coaches was Calvin
senior Jon Potvin. A senior point guard from Gladstone, Potvin averaged 3.9
points, 2.4 assists and 1.0 rebound game for the Knights. A co-captain with
Veenstra this year, Potvin graduated from Gladstone High School in Michigan's
Upper Peninsula.
Calvin finished the year with a 20-7 overall record, marking the 13th time in
school history that the Knights reached the 20-win plateau. The Knights also
finished 9-3 in the MIAA regular season to capture their fourth straight MIAA
title and 27th overall.
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