Valparaiso senior forward Ryan Broekhoff (Frankston, Victoria, Australia/Australian Institute of Sport) is the recipient of the Lou Henson Award mid-season honor, as announced today by CollegeInsider.com.  The Lou Henson Award is presented annually to the top mid-major player in Division I basketball.

“Ryan should have been named to the Lou Henson preseason All-America team,” says CollegeInsider.com co-founder Angela Lento.  “He's a terrific talent who can shoot it and score near the basket. And he has a knack for playing big in big games.”

Broekhoff has helped Valparaiso to the #12 ranking in the latest Mid-Major Top 25.  He scored 18 points and grabbed eight rebounds as the Crusaders overcame a 11-point deficit to beat then-#5 ranked Murray State.

Broekhoff leads the Horizon League in rebounding (7.8 rpg) and free throw percentage (.923) and ranks 2rd in scoring (16.7 ppg).  He has twice been named the Horizon League Player of the Week this season.

The Lou Henson Award is presented annually to the top Mid-Major player in Division I college basketball.  The award is named in honor of Lou Henson, who retired after a spectacular coaching career that lasted 41 years.  When he left the game in 2005, he was sixth all-time in career Division I wins with 779.  He is the winningest coach at both Illinois and New Mexico State.  He is one of only 12 coaches in the history of the game to take two schools to the Final Four.

The 2013 Award will be presented at the CollegeInsider.com awards banquet in Atlanta, site of the men's NCAA Basketball Championship.