WARRENSBURG, Mo. - Central Missouri Mules basketball freshman point guard Lazerek Houston has been named the D2CCA (Division 2 Conference Commissioners Association) All-Central Region Player of the Year, announced earlier today.
 
Houston, a native of Lincoln, Neb., was the first player in MIAA history to be named the Player and Freshman of the Year in the same season, averaging 20.8 points, five assists, and four rebounds per game during the regular season.
 
Houston had two ESPN SportsCenter Top 10 plays during the regular season, leading the team with five double-double performances, while scoring in double-figures in 30 of the team's 31 regular-season contests, including 15 games with 20 or more, and seven games with 30 or more for good measure.
 
He is the second player in program history to be named the All-Central Region Player of the Year, and the first since Sanijay Watts in 2009-10.
 
Houston is one of two MIAA players to be named to the All-Central Region First Team, alongside Jack Bachelor of Washburn, while four from the conference earned nods, including Dillon Claussen (Washburn) and Matthew Willenborg (Central Oklahoma).
 
Houston and the three-seeded Mules begin play in the 2026 NCAA Division II Central Regional on Saturday, March 14, as they take on the six-seeded Rogers State Hillcats at noon, inside Lee Arena in Topeka, Kan.