KANSAS CITY, Mo. – For the first time since the 2021-22 season, the Central Missouri Mules basketball team had three players selected for All-MIAA honors, including freshman guard
Lazerek Houston, junior forward
Jevon Hill, and sophomore guard
Kyran Tilley, announced by the conference office on Tuesday, March 3.
Houston, a native of Lincoln, Neb., was named the MIAA Player of the Year, Freshman of the Year, and a First Team selection after finishing the regular season averaging a conference-best 20.8 points per game, while registering 158 assists, shooting 47 percent from the floor, including 38 percent from beyond the arc.
Lazerek becomes the first athlete to be named the Player and Freshman of the year in conference history, while also becoming the first Mule since Sanijay Watts in 2009-10 to be named the MIAA's top performer. Houston also becomes the first player in nearly a decade to be named to the conference's First Team (Spencer Reaves in 2017-18), as the freshman led the team with five double-double performances during the regular season.
Hill, a native of Wichita, Kan., earns All-MIAA Second Team honors after leading the country with 108 three pointers on the year, averaging 14.5 points and 5.5 rebounds per contest for good measure. Jevon had 22 double-figure performances on the year, including five games scoring 20 points or more, highlighted by a 30-point, five-rebound outing against (Receiving Votes) Drury, where he went 10-of-12 from the floor, including 9-of-11 from beyond the arc and was one triple shy of tying the single-game record for most threes in a game in program history.
After being named the MIAA Freshman of the Year a season ago, Tilley garnered both MIAA All-Defensive and Third Team honors after posting a team-best 51 steals, which was good enough for sixth in the conference. Kyran becomes the first Mule to earn All-Defensive Team honors since the 2023-24 season, averaging 12.7 points per game, grabbing 120 rebounds, while dishing out the second-most assists for the Mules with 116, while eclipsing double-digit scoring in 21 contests for good measure.
The two-seed Mules basketball team will begin play at the 2026 MIAA Men's Basketball Tournament on Thursday, March 5, with tip-off slated for 8:15 p.m., as they will take on the winner of the Missouri Southern Lions vs Northwest Missouri Bearcats game on Wednesday, March 4, from historic Municipal Auditorium in downtown Kansas City.
2025-26 MIAA MEN'S BASKETBALL POSTSEASON AWARDS & ALL-MIAA TEAMS
PLAYER OF THE YEAR: Lazerek Houston, Central Missouri
DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE YEAR: Jeremiah Jones, Washburn
NEWCOMER OF THE YEAR: Christian Moore, Arkansas-Fort Smith
FRESHMAN OF THE YEAR: Lazerek Houston, Central Missouri*
COACH OF THE YEAR: Brett Ballard, Washburn
*Indicates unanimous selection
MIAA ALL-DEFENSIVE TEAM
Jabryn Anderson – Rogers State, Sr.
Jeremiah Jones – Washburn, Jr.
Dan Mukuna – Fort Hays State, Jr.
Kyran Tilley – Central Missouri, So.
Matthew Willenborg – Central Oklahoma, Jr.
ALL-MIAA FIRST TEAM
Jack Bachelor – Washburn, Jr.
Dillon Claussen – Washburn, So.
Lazerek Houston – Central Missouri, Fr.
Dan Mukuna – Fort Hays State, Jr.
Matthew Willenborg – Central Oklahoma, Jr.
ALL-MIAA SECOND TEAM
Jabryn Anderson – Rogers State, Sr.
Jevon Hill – Central Missouri, Jr.
Noah King – Missouri Western, Sr.
Christian Moore – Arkansas-Fort Smith, Sr.
Connor Rogers – Pittsburg State, Jr.
ALL-MIAA THIRD TEAM
Ty Henry – Missouri Western, Sr.
Jeremiah Jones – Washburn, Jr.
Josh Nwankwo – Central Oklahoma, Sr.
Kyran Tilley – Central Missouri, So.
Royce Williams – Northwest Missouri, Sr.
ALL-MIAA HONORABLE MENTION
Gavyn Elkamil – Missouri Southern, Jr.
Mason English – Pittsburg State, Fr.
Caden Fry – Rogers State, Sr.
Xavier Glenn – Northeastern State, Sr.
Kyle Grill – Fort Hays State, Jr.
Ja'Bryant Hill – Nebraska Kearney, Sr.
Tim Jordan – Rogers State, Jr.
Andrew Mason – Rogers State, Sr.
Colin Ruffin – Missouri Southern, Jr.
Brandon Scott – Arkansas-Fort Smith, Sr.
Bryson Smith – Washburn, Sr.
Jaden Taylor – Missouri Southern, Sr.
