NAPERVILLE – The All-College Conference of Illinois & Wisconsin (CCIW) Men’s Basketball honorees were recognized in a Monday afternoon announcement by the league office.
 
Ryan Johnson, a sophomore at Carthage, is the Fred Young CCIW Most Outstanding Student-Athlete. Illinois Wesleyan freshman Josh Fridman was voted CCIW First-Year Student-Athlete of the Year, while fifth-year Carthage head coach Steve Djurickovic was named CCIW Coach of the Year for the first time.
 
Johnson became Carthage’s fifth different Fred Young CCIW Most Outstanding Student-Athlete honoree and the first since his head coach – Steve Djurickovic – was honored in consecutive seasons in 2010 and 2011. Johnson averaged 15.8 points during the conference schedule and led all CCIW players with 9.1 rebounds and 1.5 blocked shots per game. The sophomore from Oswego, Ill. also ranked sixth in the CCIW with a .519 field-goal percentage (81-for-156).
 
Fridman made 14 starts against CCIW opponents, ending the regular-season league circuit with averages of  9.1 points and 2.7 assists. His assists average ranked eighth in the conference. The newcomer from Northbrook, Ill. was the top free-throw shooter in the CCIW, going 43-for-45 for a .956 percentage 
 
Djurickovic piloted Carthage to its first CCIW title since 2017 and the Firebirds’ first outright crown since 2010. Carthage finished the regular season at 14-2 against CCIW opponents. He’s Carthage’s first CCIW Coach of the Year since Steve’s father, Bosko Djurickovic, received the award in 2002, 2010 and 2017.
 
Carthage’s Ryan Johnson and AJ Johnson joined Nick Roper of Illinois Wesleyan and Soren Richardson of Wheaton as unanimous choices for the All-CCIW First Team. Additionally, Roper was one of only repeat All-CCIW First Team selections, joining Augustana’s Tyler Knuth.
 
Fred Young CCIW Most Outstanding Student-Athlete
Ryan Johnson, Carthage
 
CCIW First-Year Student-Athlete of the Year
Josh Fridman, Illinois Wesleyan
 
CCIW Coach of the Year
Steve Djurickovic, Carthage
 
All-CCIW First Team
Tyler Knuth, Augustana, 5th, F, Rockford, Ill., Guilford
*AJ Johnson, Carthage, Jr., G, Oswego, Ill., Oswego East
*Ryan Johnson, Carthage, So., G/F, Oswego, Ill., Oswego East
Tagen Pearson, Elmhurst, Gr., G, Westchester, Ill., Nazareth Academy
*Nick Roper, Illinois Wesleyan, Sr., G, St. Louis, Mo., MICDS
Hakim Williams, Illinois Wesleyan, Sr., G, Round Lake, Ill., Round Lake
Rico Powell, North Park, Sr., G, Chicago, Ill., Brother Rice
*Soren Richardson, Wheaton, So., G, Northfield, Minn., Northfield
 
* -- Unanimous selection
 
All-CCIW Second Team
Evan Ambrose, Augustana, Sr., G, Cary, Ill., Stevenson
Erik Victorson, Carroll, Sr., G, Oregon, Wis., Oregon
Riley Brooks, Carthage, So., G, Ripon, Wis., Ripon
Dominic Trelenberg, Elmhurst, Jr., F, Westchester, Ill., Nazareth Academy
Harrison Wilmsen, Illinois Wesleyan, Sr., F, St. Louis, Mo., St. Louis Priory
Lane Thomann, Millikin, So., G, Mackinaw, Ill., Dee-Mack
Terrance Moncrief, North Central, Sr. G, Joliet, Ill., Joliet West
Lance Nelson, North Park, Sr., G, Cottage Grove, Wis., Monona Grove
 
CCIW RESPECT Award Recipients
Nicolas Giliberto, Augustana, Sr., F, Phoenix, Ariz., Paradise Valley
Dominic Burns, Carroll, Sr., G, Salt Lake City, Utah, Judge Memorial
AJ Williams, Carthage, Jr., G, Chicago, Ill., Whitney Young
Sebastian Blachut, Elmhurst, Jr., G, Wood Dale, Ill., Lake Park
Trey Bazzell, Illinois Wesleyan, Sr., G, Fairbury, Ill., Prairie Central
Anthony Lewis, Millikin, Sr., G, St. Charles, Mo., St. Dominic
Tyler Swierczek, North Central, So., F, Palatine, Ill., Palatine
DJ Wallace, North Park, So., F, Hoffman Estates, Ill., Hoffman Estates
Nathan Clark, Wheaton, Sr., G, Pacific Palisades, Calif., Pacifica Christian