Luedtke Chosen Second Team All-West Region by D3hoops.com

By Robert McKinney, Athletics Communications Director, (503) 370-6110

SALEM, ORE. -- Brandon "Bubba" Luedtke (Jr., F, Meridian, ID/Mt. View HS) of Willamette University has been named Second Team All-West Region by D3hoops.com for the 2014-15 season. Luedtke was named First Team All-Northwest Conference earlier this spring.

Luedtke was one of 16 athletes to receive All-West Region honors. Five players were named to the First Team, with five players on the Second Team and six players on the Third Team. Voting was by sports information directors in the West Region.

The NWC placed two players on the All-West Region Team -- Luedtke and Nick Holden from University of Puget Sound. Holden was chosen for the Second Team.

Willamette qualified for the 2015 NWC Tournament before losing to regular season champion Whitworth University in the semifinals. The Bearcats placed fourth in the NWC during the regular season with an 8-8 record. Willamette finished the year at 10-16, including 8-7 in the final 15 games, with two of the losses at Whitworth.

Second Team All-West Region

Brandon Luedtke (Jr., F) earned All-Region recognition for the first time. Prior to receiving First Team All-NWC honors this season he was named Honorable Mention All-NWC in 2013-14.

This year, Luedtke averaged 14.1 points, 9.4 rebounds and a school record 2.6 steals per game. He led the NWC in rebounding and steals. He ranked 12th in NCAA Division III in steals per game and was 37th in rebounds per game.

Luedtke registered 10 double-doubles for the Bearcats. He scored a season-high 23 points against Dubuque University (Iowa) on Nov. 28, tied a career high with 15 rebounds against University of La Verne on Nov. 21, and set a career high with seven steals against Pacific on Feb. 21.

He shot 53.2% from the field (125 of 235) and grabbed 206 rebounds in 22 games. He supplied the Bearcats with 41 assists (1.9 avg.) and recorded 19 blocked shots (0.9 avg.).

"This is a tremendous honor and recognition for Bubba," Willamette Head Coach Kip Ioane said. "His ability to affect games via scoring, rebounding and making plays on defense is impressive, and this regional award is well deserved."

As a sophomore in 2013-14, Luedtke averaged 10.6 points and 7.9 rebounds per game. He ranked second in the NWC in rebounding and led the league with 5.8 defensive boards per game. He shot 51.6% from the field (99 of 192). He scored a career-high 25 points against Pacific University on Feb. 4, 2014.

During his three years so far at Willamette, Luedtke has scored 637 points, while grabbing 481 rebounds and contributing 114 steals He has earned 94 assists and blocked 36 shots. He owns a career field goal shooting percentage of 53.3%. He has seen action in 70 games with 43 starts.

West Region Special Awards

Tyler Gaffaney (Sr., G) from Claremont-Mudd-Scripps (Calif.) was named West Region Player of the Year, while Head Coach Tim Grosz from University of Northwestern (Minn.) was chosen West Region Coach of the Year. Kevin Grow (Fr. F) of Carleton University (Minn.) was selected as the West Region Rookie of the Year.