SIOUX FALLS, S.D. – The Summit League announced its end of the season basketball awards on Thursday. Coaches, media and sports information directors selected the winners ahead of this week's Summit League Tournament selected the winners.
 
Redshirt-sophomore A.J. Plitzuweit was named Newcomer of the Year, head coach Todd Lee was named Coach of the Year, Plitzuweit was named to the all-Newcomer team and Stanley Umude, Plitzuweit and Xavier Fuller were named to the all-Summit League teams.
 
Lee is in his third season at the helm and earned his first career Summit League Coach of the Year honor. The Yotes returned one starter from a season ago and welcomed in 11 newcomers this season. After a 2-6 non-conference season, the Yotes reeled off nine straight conference victories the most since joining the conference. Lee had USD atop of the standings for nearly the entire season. This is the second time USD has had a coach hold that honor, the first was Craig Smith after the 2016-17 season. 
 
After a stellar first season in the red and white, Plitzuweit took home three awards after averaging 22.1 points per game on 46.3 percent shooting from the field and 48.3 percent from deep. The Vermillion, South Dakota, native lit up the stat sheet night in and night out recording 19 double-digit games including seven 20+-point games. Plitzuweit recorded four games of 30 plus points and is one of three players to score 37 or more points twice in a game this season. Plitzuweit becomes the first Coyote to earn the title of Newcomer of the Year. The Summit League changed the name of the award to Transfer of the Year from 2015-18 in which Matt Mooney earned the honor in 2016-17. 
 
Umude earned a spot on the all-league teams for the third straight season including his second career first-team honors. He led the Yotes in scoring all season with 21.4 points overall and recorded 20.9 points per game in league play. Umude ranks 10^th in the nation in scoring. The San Antonio, Texas native has recorded 20 plus points 12 times and 30 plus points five times including a career-high 41 points against SDSU in December. He is currently 11^th in program history in total points, was a two-time Player of the Week, and was the December Athlete of the Month.
 
Junior Xavier Fuller completed a stellar first season in a Coyote uniform earning all-Summit League honorable mention honors. The Mesa, Arizona, native entered the starting lineup in December and has started every game for the Yotes. Fuller sits third on the team in scoring with 8.0 points per game. He recorded a career-high 22 points against Oral Roberts in the thrilling 86-84 victory. Fuller has recorded 10+ points seven times this season.
 
South Dakota is the No. 2 seed in this week's Summit League Tournament and opens play at 8:45 p.m. Saturday against seventh-seeded Western Illinois.

MBB individual Awards
Player of the Year – Max Abmas (ORU)
Defensive Player of the Year – Brandon McKissic (KC)
Freshman of the Year – Tyree Ihenacho (UND)
Sixth Man of the Year – Grant Nelson (NDSU)
Newcomer of the Year – A.J. Plitzuweit (USD)
Coach of the Year – Todd Lee (USD)

MBB All-League Teams
1^st – Max Abmas (ORU), Rocky Kreuser (NDSU), Kevin Obanor (ORU), A.J. Plitzuweit (USD), Baylor Scheierman (SDSU), Stanley Umude (USD)
2^nd – Will Carius (WIU), Sam Griesel (NDSU), Brandon McKissic (KC), Filip Rebraca (UND), Douglas Wilson (SDSU)
HM – Josiah Allick (KC), Xavier Fuller (USD), Matt Pile (Omaha), Marlon Ruffin (Omaha), Jase Townsend (DU)

MBB All-Newcomer Team
Will Carius (WIU), R.J. Glasper (ORU), Tyree Ihenacho (UND), Grant Nelson (NDSU), A.J. Plitzuweit (USD)