It is hard to believe we are two months into the DII men’s basketball season. The 2025 portion of the schedule is upon us, and that means conference play. And we know that once conference play starts, every game matters and the stars need to shine brightest down the stretch.
These players in particular will be looking to keep their hot starts going and make an impact.
This is the final all-stats starting five for the 2024 portion of the season. For those new to my monthly dream team based on statistical leaders in DII men’s basketball, here’s a run down. Some of these players may be outright No. 1 in a single category, while others are sometimes top five in several categories. The most important thing to remember is that this attempts to capture the moment through stats and not any indication of who the best players in the division are.
DII MEN’S BASKETBALL CENTRAL
The December DII men’s basketball All-Stats Starting Five
(Note: All stats through Dec. 31 per NCAA.org)
Guard: Tray Alexander, Pace
This spot seems like it is going to be a back-and-forth battle between Alexander and Nova Southeastern’s Dallas Graziani. November saw Graziani take it, but December belonged to Alexander. The 5-foot-10 guard is the driving force behind Pace’s undefeated start and he does everything very well. He leads DII men’s basketball in assists with 10.8 per game and he posted three double-doubles in five December games. He and Graziani are the only two guards in the top 10 of double-doubles, and Alexander has one more than his competition for this slot. He chips in 14.6 points per game on 51.4 percent shooting and is also averaging 4.4 rebounds and more than two steals per game.
Guard: Adrian McIntyre, Westmont
McIntyre is absolutely crushing his previous career bests, coming off a very impressive December to end 2024 as DII men’s basketball’s scoring leader, edging out Spring Hill’s Walter Peggs Jr. by 0.01 points at 26.6 per game. The 6-foot-3 shooter scored at least 22 points in every December game, averaging 26.4 over the five games. He also shot 55 percent over the same span and posted his second double-double of the season. His 6.0 rebounds per game and 26.6 points per game are both double last year’s career highs. He’s also in the top 20 in steals with 2.5 per game and is second on the team with 4.2 assists per game as a well-rounded offensive asset.
Also considered: Dallas Graziana, Nova Southeastern; MJ Iraldi, Nova Southeastern; Cooper Jackson, Eastern New Mexico; Walter Peggs Jr., Spring Hill; Chris Terrell, Delta State
Forward: Caleb Van De Griend, Minot State
Van De Griend, a 6-foot-8, 240-pound beast of a forward, is off to a sensational start. A reserve in his first two seasons with the Beavers, Van De Griend has moved into the starting rotation, and Minot State is suddenly a 15-0 power. On the season, Van De Griend is posting nightly averages of 11.9 rebounds and 18.3 points — which are double and triple his previous career bests, respectively. On top of that, he’s shooting 76 percent from the floor, the top mark in DII men’s basketball. He also leads DII in double-doubles with 10 and is fourth overall in rebounding.
Forward: Hobert Grayson, Ouachita Baptist
Paul Greene of Southern New Hampshire is leading DII men’s basketball in rebounding, so some may feel he may be a snub here, but Grayson’s all-around game has been better. The 6-foot-6 junior is No. 6 in DII men’s basketball in scoring (24.4 points per game, the most among all forwards), fifth in rebounding (11.9 per game) and tied for second in double-doubles. He’s also shooting an impressive 51 percent from the floor and while he doesn’t shoot a ton from 3-point land, he is efficient when he does at 40 percent from behind the arc.
Also considered: Cenker Evran, Edinboro; Donovan Hill, Shippensburg; Paul Greene, Southern New Hampshire; Maceo Williams, Ashland
Center: Max Amadasun, Augusta
This is a pretty simple pick. Amadasun leads all DII men’s basketball centers in both scoring (19.3 points per game) and rebounding (10.2 per game). The 6-foot-9, Dublin, Ireland native is shooting 63.2 percent from the field which is in the top 25 in DII. He posted four double-doubles in five December games… and the one game he missed was by one rebound. He has five on the season, more than any other center in the division. Augusta has a recent history of dominant centers and Amadasun looks to be continuing that legacy.
Also considered: Benjamin Bill, Daemen; Nathan Claerbaut, Ferris State; Sergey Grishaev, Rollins
