Sandpoint boys basketball announces end of season awards

SANDPOINT — Following the end of the season for each and every high school team, there is a banquet to celebrate the team’s accomplishments and put a bow on the year.

Unfortunately, due to the coronavirus pandemic the Sandpoint boys basketball team wasn’t able to hold their end of season awards banquet. So head coach Wade Engelson reached out and provided the Bee with the team’s awards for the season.

Academic Award

Engelson said this was one of the most difficult academic awards he’s had to give out in a long time because a handful of kids in the program had an adjusted GPA over 4.0. But in the end, freshman Arie VanDenBerg won the award. The award came down to the hundredth decimal point.

Defensive Player of the Year

Senior Christian Niemela was given this award. Engelson said Niemela, a team captain, was an elite defender who was typically tasked with guarding the opposing team’s best offensive player this season. Niemela was third on the team in minutes played, steals and assists and was fourth in scoring.

Offensive Player of the Year

High flying Ryan Roos received this award after finishing second on the team in scoring (10.1 ppg), assists, minutes, steals, 3-pointers made and 3-point field goal percentage and first in rebounds, deflections and blocks. Engelson said the senior team captain was an outstanding player on both ends of the court and played a lot bigger than his height listed on the roster (6 feet 2 inches).

The two time all-league player will be remembered for his athleticism and highlight reel dunks this season.

Most Inspirational

This award was given to senior Brandon Casey. Engelson said Casey was a great teammate who always encouraged others whether he was on the court or the bench. Casey, a team captain, led the team in field goal percentage at 61 percent and was third in scoring and rebounding.

Bulldog Award

This award is given to the player that most embodies what it means to be a Sandpoint Bulldog. Senior Will Treadaway received this distinction due to his work ethic, commitment and leadership this season, Engelson said.

“Will just exemplified everything we look for in a player,” he said.

Treadaway, a team captain, was second on the Bulldogs in blocks and field goal percentage.

MVP

Senior Kobe Banks grabbed the team’s MVP. He led the team with 14.6 points per game and was first in minutes, steals, 3-pointers made, 3-point percentage and assists. He was also third in blocks and fourth in rebounds. Engelson said Banks grew as a player throughout the season and added that he has a chance to excel at the next level.

Honorable Mentions

Freshman Colin Roos and sophomore Jacob Eldridge, along with VanDenBerg, were nominated by Engelson for the league’s Newcomer of the Year Award.

Roos made his presence felt despite getting limited playing time early in the season. He led the team in plus/minus at +46, which means when he was on the court for the Bulldogs this season the team outscored opponents by 46 points. He was also second in rebounding and fourth in steals.

Eldridge had an injury to start the season but battled back to finish the year with a 57 percent field goal percentage, third best on the team. Engelson said Eldridge was a relentless competitor who brought energy to Sandpoint whenever he was on the court.

Senior Donnie Moore, junior Darren Bailey, sophomore Ethan Butler and freshman Parker Pettit all had injuries that either prevented them from playing or limited them this season. Engelson said all four still had a big impact on the Bulldogs this season and were “fantastic teammates.”

Engelson said he’s disappointed the team wasn’t able to hold an awards banquet but is proud of how much each player matured on and off the court this season.