APPLETON, Wis. -- Lawrence University basketball standout Chris Braier and head coach John Tharp both earned honors from the National Association of Basketball Coaches on the organization's All-Midwest Region team.
Braier, a sophomore forward from Wauwatosa, was chosen for the first team, and Tharp was named the region's Coach of the Year.
Braier, who also was named to the d3hoops.com All-America and all-region teams, was the Midwest Conference Player of the Year and a first-team all-league selection for the second consecutive season. The former Wauwatosa East High School standout averaged 15 points and 13.4 rebounds per game.
Braier finished fourth in the nation in rebounding and posted 21 double-doubles in 29 games. He is in third place on the school's all-time list with 651 rebounds, which is 80 rebounds short of the career record of 731. Braier also led the team with 57 assists and 54 steals. He averaged 14 points and 14.5 rebounds in four NCAA tournament games, as the Vikings reached the Elite 8.
Tharp shared Coach of the Year honors with Hanover College's Mike Beitzel. A native of Sheboygan and former star at Sheboygan North High School, Tharp guided the Vikings to the finest season in school history.
Lawrence finished with a 24-5 record and was ranked as high as tenth nationally by d3hoops.com. Tharp, who has coached at Lawrence for 10 seasons, won his second Midwest Conference championship. Tharp's team also won the Midwest Conference Tournament, and the Vikings earned their first NCAA Division III Championship berth since 1997.
Lawrence played in the NCAA tournament for the second time in school history and made a remarkable run. The Vikings advanced the Elite 8, the furthest any Midwest Conference team has ever made it in the NCAA tournament.
Lawrence defeated Lakeland College 86-51 in the first round at Alexander Gymnasium. The Vikings then went on the road and won 72-66 at Buena Vista University in the second round. Lawrence then defeated Sul Ross State University 86-79 in overtime in the Sweet 16 in Tacoma, Wash. Lawrence's tournament run ended in the Elite 8 when the Vikings were edged 82-81 in overtime by the eventual national champion, the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point.
Tharp, who also was named Midwest Conference Coach of the Year for the second time in his career, has a record of 146-91. He needs only two more wins to become the school's all-time wins leader. His winning percentage of .616 is the highest of any coach with more than 21 victories at the school.