Senior Standout Walt Kelser Named To NABC All-District First Team
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Big Rapids, Mich. - Ferris State University senior guard Walt Kelser (Southfield), who led the Bulldogs to the NCAA Division II Midwest Region Semifinals this past weekend, has added another honor to his resume, being chosen this week by the National Association of Basketball Coaches (NABC) as an All-Midwest District First Team honoree.
Previously, Kelser was tabbed as a 2022 Division II Conference Commissioners Association (D2CCA) All-Region First Team selection.
Kelser averaged a team-leading 19 points per game this year, helping FSU to its second Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (GLIAC) Championship and NCAA Tourney berth in the past three years. He finished his FSU career totaling 1,537 points along with 272 rebounds, 241 assists and 118 steals in 82 collegiate games over the past three years.
The standout guard was joined on the NABC All-District team as one of the region's top five performers by Hillsdale's Patrick Cartier, Truman State's Cade McKnight, Jake Van Tubbergen of Grand Valley State in addition to Owen White of Michigan Tech. Overall, only a total of 10 standouts were named to the all-district first and second team squads.
This season, Kelser ranked among the GLIAC and region's scoring leaders and totaled 27 double-figure scoring contests, including four gams with 30 or more total points. He scored a team-high 22 points in FSU's first-round NCAA Tournament win over Findlay (March 11) before closing his FSU career with a squad-best 19 points in the Bulldogs' regional semifinal setback to Hillsdale (March 12). Kelser was chosen to the NCAA Midwest Region All-Tournament Team for his efforts in postseason play.
A first-team All-GLIAC honoree this season, Kelser garnered all-region accolades for the third consecutive campaign. A year ago,he was named to the NABC All-Midwest District Second Team after attaining regional laurels from both the NABC and D2CCA the previous season in 2019-20.
Ferris State closed the season with a 22-9 overall record this year and reached the national tournament for the sixth time in the past eight years. The NCAA Tourney win over Findlay was the Bulldogs' first in the NCAA Tourney since capturing the 2018 NCAA Division II National Championship.