Frericks and Butkus Named All-SSC

MELBOURNE, Fla. (March 5, 2025) - The Sunshine State Conference announced the men's basketball season honors on Wednesday afternoon, as voted on by the eleven head coaches in the league. Among the honorees were Beau Frericks and Emilis Butkus, who were both named to the 3rd team.

Frericks joined the Tars for one season following a phenomenal career at Lewis University in Illinois. His impact was felt immediately as he set a season-high in scoring and in assists in the first game of the year, dropping 28 points while also dishing out ten helpers in a win against Spring Hill. He was the only Tar player to start all 30 games played this season. For the year, he totaled 492 points, 116 rebounds, 114 assists, and 27 steals while shooting 50.3% from the field and 41.7% from three. Among conference counterparts, Frericks finished 3rd in 3PT percentage, 3rd in minutes played, 4th in FT percentage, 7th in assists, 8th in field goal percentage, and 10th in points per game. 

"Beau was the stabilizing force for us this year," said head coach Kevin Hogan. "He is a heady player who came to work every day focused and prepared. Beau set the example, playing through injury, and led the team from an emotional standpoint. His impact on the team in one season will be felt for years to come."

Butkus also joined the Tars for the first time in 2024-25 after transferring from Midland College in Texas. The Lithuanian native led Rollins in scoring, pouring in 514 points across 29 games for an average of 17.7 per contest. He scored double-digit points in 28 of 29 games played, including the first 27 games of the season. His season-high was 27 against Eckerd on January 15, and he broke 20 points nine times. Butkus was a dual threat scorer, able to use his muscular build to drive to the rim against smaller defenders, and also use his sweet stroke to knock down a team-high 60 threes at a 37% clip. His 52.4% field goal percentage was seventh highest in the SSC. He was also the second-highest rebounder on the Tars with 136 boards. 

"Emilis is a dynamic and talented player," remarked Hogan. "He was our most versatile player this year as he gave us both an inside and outside threat. I was happy to see him get through the season without major injury. His hard work off the court carried him through a long season, and we were very pleased with his effort in his first year on campus."

Nova Southeastern's MJ Iraldi and Jim Crutchfield are named Player of the Year and Coach of the Year, respectively. Alex Steen of Florida Southern repeats as Defensive Player of the Year, while Saint Leo's Jaylan McElroy earns Freshman of the Year.
 

2024-25 Men's Basketball All-SSC First Team
Pos.	Name	School	Yr.	Hometown
G/F	MJ Iraldi	Nova Southeastern	Sr.	West Deptford, New Jersey
G	Jadin Booth^	Florida Southern	Gr.	Omaha, Nebraska
F	Alex Steen*	Florida Southern	Jr.	Panama City Beach, Florida
G	Dallas Graziani	Nova Southeastern	Jr.	Pembroke Pines, Florida
F	Leo Beath	Lynn	Jr.	Malibu, California
2024-25 Men's Basketball All-SSC Second Team
Pos.	Name	School	Yr.	Hometown
F	Ryker Cisarik	Nova Southeastern	Sr.	Highlands Ranch, Colorado
G	Dru Nickson~	Embry-Riddle	Sr.	Melbourne, Florida
G	Carson Smith	Lynn	Gr.	Menomonee Falls, Wisconsin
G	Joshua Ward	Palm Beach Atlantic	Jr.	Memphis, Tennessee
F	Tyson Leitao	Tampa	Sr.	Chicago, Illinois
2024-25 Men's Basketball All-SSC Third Team
Pos.	Name	School	Yr.	Hometown
G	Isaiah Placide	Eckerd	Sr.	Hampton, Georgia
G	Bryan Williams†	Tampa	Sr.	West Palm Beach, Florida
G	Emilis Butkus	Rollins	Jr.	Vilnuis, Lithuania
F	Jimel Lane	Barry	Jr.	Miami, Florida
G	Beau Frericks	Rollins	Gr.	Cary, Illinois
2024-25 Men's Basketball All-SSC Defensive Team
Pos.	Name	School	Yr.	Hometown
F	Alex Steen*	Florida Southern	Jr.	Panama City Beach, Florida
G	Dallas Graziani	Nova Southeastern	Jr.	Pembroke Pines, Florida
F	Ryker Cisarik	Nova Southeastern	Sr.	Highlands Ranch, Colorado
F	Peyton Gerald	Florida Southern	Sr.	Charlotte, North Carolina
G	Joshua Ward	Palm Beach Atlantic	Jr.	Memphis, Tennessee