CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa --- Luther College's Tyler Wedemeier (Westgate, Iowa / West Central) has been selected as the 2012-2013 Iowa Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (IIAC) Men's Basketball Most Valuable Player, headlining the 15-member All-Iowa Conference Teams. Wedemeier is a two-time all-league pick and was last year's IIAC Defensive Player of the Year.

Wedemeier averaged 16.5 points, 9.6 rebounds and 2.9 blocks in 26 contests, leading Luther in scoring 17 times and rebounding 22 times while posting 12 double-doubles. He led all Iowa Conference players in blocked shots, and ranked second behind Buena Vista's Wes Nordquist among all Iowa Confererence players in both scoring and rebounding. Wedemeier also ranked second among league players in field-goal percentage at 58.5 percent (161-of-275) and ninth in free-throw percentage at 74.6 percent (106-of-142). Wedemeier ranks sixth in Division III in blocked shots per game (2.88 per game), 12th in double-doubles (12), 29th in field-goal percentage (58.5 percent) and 41st in rebounds per game (9.6) through games played Feb. 24.

Wedemeier wrapped his career in 11th place on Luther's career scoring chart with 1,161 points and sixth in rebounds with 759. He is the sixth Norse player to conclude his career with at least 1,000 points and 750 boards. Additionally, he will graduate holding the school's single-season (75) and career (247) records for blocked shots and career field-goal percentage (57.3 percent; 439-of-766).

In 14 Conference games, Wedemeier averaged 17.3 points, 10.4 rebounds and 3.0 blocks, leading the league in all three categories. He also ranked sixth in field-goal percentage at 54.9 percent (89-of-162) and seventh in free-throw percentage at 79.0 percent (64-of-81). Wedemeier is the fourth Luther player to be named IIAC Most Valuable Player.

Luther College junior forward John Androus (Lindenhurst, Ill. / Lakes) has been named the 2012-2013 IIAC Defensive Player of the Year. Androus is the third consecutive Luther player selected for the award, following Jacy Dillahunty in 2011, the award's inaugural year, and Wedemeier a year ago. He averaged 8.6 points, 5.2 rebounds, 2.6 assists and 1.0 steals per game, ranking ninth among league players in steals, 10th in rebounding, 11th in assists, and 26th in scoring. Androus also shot 75.9 percent (63-of-83) at the free throw line to rank eighth.

Luther College head coach Mark Franzen is the 2012-2013 Iowa Conference Coach of the Year. Franzen led Luther to an 11-3 Conference mark and a share of the program's second title in three years. The Norse fell to Wartburg, 62-57, in the semifinal round of the Iowa Conference men's basketball tournamment to finish 18-8 overall. In conference games, Luther, which sported the league's seventh-best scoring offense at 65.9 points per game, led the IIAC in only field goal percentage defense (39.7 percent) and blocked shots (4.21 bpg) but ranked second in turnover margin (+1.14) and assist-to-turnover ratio (1.09) and third in scoring defense (62.9 ppg), free throw percentage (72.1 percent) and 3-point field goal defense (31.5 percent).

This is the second time Franzen has been named IIAC Men’s Basketball Coach of the Year and his fifth IIAC Coach of the Year honor overall. He was also honored two years ago when the Norse won their first title since 1984, and previously earned IIAC Coach of the Year honors in men's golf (2000, 2004) and women's golf (2002) while at Wartburg.

The IIAC also released the 2012-13 All-Iowa Conference Men’s Basketball Team. The 15-member Team includes five repeat All-Conference performers including Buena Vista's Nordquist and 2012 Iowa Conference MVP David Mataloni of Coe, who were both named All-Iowa Conference for the third time. Wedemeier is a two-time all-IIAC pick (also 2011 Second Team), but does have last year's Defensive Player of the Year honor sandwiched in-between. First-teamers Seth Light of Coe and Jacob Winkler of Central are making their second straight appearance on the all-league roster. Both were second-teamers a year ago. NCAA tournament participant Dubuque had a league-high three selections overall. Five schools had a pair of all-conference picks: Luther, which had the MVP Wedemeier and first-teamer Zach Matos-Pritchard, and Buena Vista, Central, Coe and Wartburg, who all both a first-teamer and a second-teamer. Simpson and Loras were both represented by one player.

The complete 2012-13 All-Iowa Conference Men’s Basketball Team follows this release.

~~ www.iowaconference.com ~~

2012-2013 All-Iowa Conference Men’s Basketball Team
Most Valuable Player — Tyler Wedemeier, sr., C, Luther
Defensive Player of the Year — John Androus, jr., F, Luther
Coach of the Year — Mark Franzen, Luther

Most Valuable Player	School	Year	Hometown / High School
Tyler Wedemeier ! €	Luther	Sr.	Westgate, Iowa / West Central
Defensive Player of the Year	School	Year	Hometown / High School
John Androus £	Luther	Jr.	Lindenhurst, Ill. / Lakes
First Team	School	Year	Hometown / High School
Wes Nordquist & ^ #	Buena Vista	Sr.	Adel, Iowa / Adel-DeSoto-Minburn
Jacob Winkler £	Central	Sr.	Lancaster, Mo. / Schuyler R-1
Seth Light £	Coe	Sr.	Carlisle, Iowa / Carlisle
Chris Frazier ¥	Dubuque	Jr.	Heidelberg, Germany / Heidelberg American
Zach Matos-Pritchard	Luther	Sr.	Edina, Minn. / Edina
Elijah Knox @	Simpson	Sr.	Scottsdale, Ariz. / Cactus Shadows
Mitchell Murphy	Wartburg	Sr.	Cresco, Iowa / Crestwood
Second Team	School	Year	Hometown / High School
Cole Darrow	Buena Vista	So.	Glenwood, Iowa / Glenwood
Branden Stubbs	Central	Jr.	Pleasant Hill, Iowa / Des Moines Christian
David Mataloni ^ %	Coe	Sr.	Urbandale, Iowa / Urbandale
Mitch Michaelis ¥	Dubuque	Jr.	LeClaire, Iowa / Pleasant Valley
Andre Norris	Dubuque	Fr.	Plainfield, Ill. / Plainfield Central
Nathaniel Smith	Loras	So.	Lincoln, Ill. / Lincoln
Eddie Diemer	Wartburg	Jr.	Cedar Falls, Iowa / Northern University
Honorable Mention	School	Year	Hometown / High School
Troy Ticknor $	Buena Vista	Sr.	Adel, Iowa / Adel-DeSoto-Minburn
Matt Greenfield	Central	Jr.	Huxley, Iowa / Ballard
Andrew Wirth £	Coe	Jr.	Cedar Falls, Iowa / Cedar Falls
Charles Swain	Simpson	So.	Austin, Texas / Summit Christian Academy
Previous Honors
% — 2011-12 Iowa Conference MVP
€ — 2011-12 IIAC Defensive Player of the Year
# — 2011-12 First Team All-Conference
£ — 2011-12 Second Team All-Conference
¥ — 2011-12 Honorable Mention
^ — 2010-11 First Team All-Conference
! — 2010-11 Second Team All-Conference
@ — 2010-11 Honorable Mention
$ — 2009-10 Second Team All-Conference
& — 2009-10 Honorable Mention