Dada Named NCC's Most Valuable
Mar 8, 2004 | Men's Basketball
Senior forward Tola Dada, who leads the Mavericks in scoring and rebounding, was named the North Central Conference's Most Valuable Player by a vote of the league's coaches. UNO third-year head coach Kevin McKenna was also named the NCC's Coach of the Year.
Dada was joined on the 12-member all-NCC team by senior teammate Ty Graham. The 5-8 guard was the Wells Fargo Finals tournament MVP while leading the Mavericks to the championship.
The 6-6 Dada, who prepped at Omaha Burke High School, is a four-year starter and letterman who enters this weekend's regional tournament needing just three points to become the school's 25th 1,000-point scorer. He averaged 13.6 points and 4.6 rebounds in NCC play and 12.6 points and 5.8 rebounds per game overall.
Only one other UNO player, Dean Thompson in 1984, has been named the NCC's MVP.
For McKenna, who has led the Mavericks to three straight 20-win seasons and two NCAA tournaments while at UNO, it's his first coach of the year honor in the NCC. His teams have finished second, fifth and first and have a 66-26 overall record.
The Mavericks, now 22-7, will continue their season this weekend as the No. 3 seed in the eight-team North Central NCAA II Regional in Denver. UNO will face NCC rival South Dakota in Saturday's first round.
ALL-NCC TEAM
Luke Anderson, Minnesota State
Alex Carlson, St. Cloud State
CoCo Cofield, North Dakota State
Tola Dada, UNO
Ty Graham, UNO
Tommie King, South Dakota
Evan Lindahl, North Dakota
Andy Moeller, South Dakota State
Ben Nemmers, North Dakota State
Todd Rykema, North Dakota
Derrick Schantz, South Dakota State
Jamel Staten, Minnesota State
DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE YEAR
Alex Carlson, St. Cloud State
FRESHMAN OF THE YEAR
Ben Beran, South Dakota State
NEWCOMER OF THE YEAR
Jamel Staten, Minnesota State
MOST VALUABLE PLAYER
Tola Dada, UNO
COACH OF THE YEAR
Kevin McKenna, UNO
Dada was joined on the 12-member all-NCC team by senior teammate Ty Graham. The 5-8 guard was the Wells Fargo Finals tournament MVP while leading the Mavericks to the championship.
The 6-6 Dada, who prepped at Omaha Burke High School, is a four-year starter and letterman who enters this weekend's regional tournament needing just three points to become the school's 25th 1,000-point scorer. He averaged 13.6 points and 4.6 rebounds in NCC play and 12.6 points and 5.8 rebounds per game overall.
Only one other UNO player, Dean Thompson in 1984, has been named the NCC's MVP.
For McKenna, who has led the Mavericks to three straight 20-win seasons and two NCAA tournaments while at UNO, it's his first coach of the year honor in the NCC. His teams have finished second, fifth and first and have a 66-26 overall record.
The Mavericks, now 22-7, will continue their season this weekend as the No. 3 seed in the eight-team North Central NCAA II Regional in Denver. UNO will face NCC rival South Dakota in Saturday's first round.
ALL-NCC TEAM
Luke Anderson, Minnesota State
Alex Carlson, St. Cloud State
CoCo Cofield, North Dakota State
Tola Dada, UNO
Ty Graham, UNO
Tommie King, South Dakota
Evan Lindahl, North Dakota
Andy Moeller, South Dakota State
Ben Nemmers, North Dakota State
Todd Rykema, North Dakota
Derrick Schantz, South Dakota State
Jamel Staten, Minnesota State
DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE YEAR
Alex Carlson, St. Cloud State
FRESHMAN OF THE YEAR
Ben Beran, South Dakota State
NEWCOMER OF THE YEAR
Jamel Staten, Minnesota State
MOST VALUABLE PLAYER
Tola Dada, UNO
COACH OF THE YEAR
Kevin McKenna, UNO
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