[Men's Basketball] Mangas Named Crossroads League Player of the Year; Four Wildcats Honored

MARION, Ind. – For the second consecutive season Kyle Mangas was named the Crossroads League Men’s Basketball Player of the Year, voted on by the league coaches. Indiana Wesleyan University had four different players recognized when the league’s postseason honors were released on Wednesday.

Mangas is joined on the All-League First Team by Evan Maxwell, Joel Okafor was voted All-League Third Team and the Crossroads League Defensive Player of the Year, and Seth Maxwell was named to the All-Freshman Team.

“It’s fun to be in a culture where the focus is on empowering and lifting others up,” said head coach Greg Tonagel. “Everybody wins when you live for the benefit of others.”

Mangas earns the fifth Player of the Year recognition in program history and he becomes the first Wildcat to win in twice.

The Warsaw, Indiana product followed up his historic freshman season with an even better sophomore campaign. He has averaged 23.5 points, 5.0 rebounds, and 4.0 assists while shooting 56-percent from the floor and 42-percent from beyond the arc. Entering national tournament play, Mangas already has 730 points on the season which is the third most in program history. He set the program record last year with 818 points.

“It would be pretty hard for Kyle to follow up last year’s season that he put together but he somehow surpassed that with all that he has done this year,” said Tonagel. “In addition, he continues to get it done on the defensive end which makes his offensive production all that more impressive.”

Evan Maxwell is a two-time All-Crossroads League performer as he was named Second Team in his first season in a Wildcat uniform. In 2019, he was named First Team with 16.6 points and 6.4 rebounds per contest. He ranks fourth in the country shooting 60.7-percent from the floor.

“Evan has had a dominating year and has proven to be one of the best bigs in the country,” added Tonagel. “His spiritual leadership in the locker room this year has been instrumental for our team.”

Okafor was recognized for his strong contributions on both ends of the court. The senior was honored as the best defensive player in the Crossroads League and he added 9.5 points, 4.4 rebounds, and a career-best 4.3 assists per game.

“Joel is the heart of this team,” stated Tonagel. “His impact goes far deeper than the stat sheet. It was good to see other coaches in the league recognize that.”

Seth Maxwell was a key member off the bench in his freshman season. He averaged 5.9 points and 3.6 rebounds in 14 minutes per game. He led the Wildcats with 43 blocked shots.

“Seth has a bright future ahead,” Tonagel said. “He’s only scratched the surface. With Evan leaving next year his opportunities will increase.”

Indiana Wesleyan is 28-5 this season and won the Crossroads League regular season and tournament championships. IWU next competes at the NAIA National Championship on March 6-12 as the Wildcats look to defend their title in Sioux Falls, South Dakota. The national tournament bracket will be revealed Wednesday night at 6 p.m. on the NAIA Facebook page.

Full list of Crossroads League Honors