After helping lead Central College to an unexpected American Rivers Conference men’s basketball championship, Pella Christian alum and 6’10” junior center Joshua Van Gorp was voted as the conference’s most valuable player.

Van Gorp is the sixth player in school history to receive men’s basketball MVP honors and the first since 2014. He’s joined on the all-conference first team by record-setting 6’10” forward Grant Johnson (senior, Waukee, Van Meter HS) while guard Kade Terrell (5th-year, Montrose, Colo.) was a second-team selection. Guard Drew Edwards (senior, Eden Prairie, Minn.) received honorable mention.

Central’s Joe Steinkamp was named the conference coach of the year after guiding the Dutch to their 18th conference title in his first season as head coach. He engineered a turnaround for a squad that was coming off a 7-17 season and was picked to finish in eighth place in the preseason. Central was 13-3 in conference play and 18-7 overall.

A two-time first-team selection, Van Gorp ranks fourth in the NCAA Division III in field goal percentage (68.0). He averaged a team-high 17.5 points with 7.6 rebounds and 1.5 blocks for the season and helped the Dutch lead Division III in blocks per game (6.2) while ranking third nationally in field goal percentage defense (36.8%). He was a three-time conference player of the week. Van Gorp posted four double-doubles, including a 36-point, 11-rebound effort in a conference tourney semifinal game last Thursday. His 36-point outing is tied for 16th-highest in school history.

Johnson, in his first year as a starter, averaged 11.1 points, 8.4 rebounds, 2.7 blocks and 4.6 assists. He was a two-time conference player of the week and set the school season blocks record with 69. Johnson recorded five double-doubles. He was first in the conference in blocks, second in assists and second in assist/turnover ratio (2.4).

A three-time team Tom Steward Hustle Award winner, Terrell averaged 12.0 points, with 4.3 rebounds and 2.1 assists. He led Central in 3-pointers per game (2.9), 3-point shooting percentage (37.8), free throw percentage (81.3) and steals (0.8).

Edwards averaged 6.0 points, 5.9 rebounds and led the conference with 4.8 assists. He was also first in assist/turnover ratio (2.7). A 6’0″ point guard, Edwards twice posted double-digit rebounds. He had 14 against Loras College Feb. 4 and posted a near triple-double at Simpson College Feb. 18 with 12 points, 13 rebounds and eight assists.

Steinkamp, a 2003 Central graduate and former team co-captain, is the fourth men’s basketball coach in school history to receive coach of the year recognition and it’s the eighth time the award was presented to a Central coach.