ROMEOVILLE, Ill. – The Great Lakes Valley Conference announced on Wednesday (March 6) that Lewis University senior guard Kendale McCullum (Elgin, Ill./Elgin Larkin) has been named the 2018-19 GLVC Men's Basketball Player of the Year and Defensive Player of the Year. Lewis head men's basketball coach Scott Trost was named the GLVC Men's Basketball Coach of the Year. Delaney Blaylock (Wyoming, Mich./Godwin Heights) was named First Team All-GLVC and Adam Pischke (Cary, Ill./Marian Central Catholic) was named Second Team All-GLVC.

McCullum is the first Flyer since Monta McGhee (2003-04) to be named the GLVC's Player of the Year and the fourth in school history joining McGhee, Tom Niego (1985-86) and Larry Tucker (1981-82). He is the first player in conference history to garner two of the league's top honors in the same season.  McCullum earns his third All-GLVC honor and second First Team All-GLVC honor. He was named to the All-GLVC First Team following the 2016-17 season. He was also a unanimous selection for the All-Defensive team. McCullum was also named to the All-Defensive team following his sophomore and junior seasons.

"I'm so happy for Kendale," Trost said.  "To see what he went through last year and to come back and perform at the level he has is just tremendous.  He is as good of a point guard as there is in the country and I consider myself fortunate to coach him. That being said, he is a remarkable young man with a bright future."

McCullum leads the GLVC in assists with 6.3 and steals with 2.8 per game and is ranked eighth in scoring with 16.1 points per outing. He's been named GLVC Player of the Week three times this season, including the final two of the season. McCullum has reached double figures in scoring 23 times this season and has topped the 20-point mark nine times, including a career-high 28 points in the come from behind win at Quincy on February 28. Twice this season he's been a rebound shy of posting a triple-double in a game and has matched his career-high of 11 assists twice this year.

Blaylock earns his third All-GLVC honor and his first All-GLVC First Team accolade after averaging 14.5 points and 6.1 rebounds per game during the regular season. He's seventh in the conference in rebounding and 11th in scoring. Blaylock has reached double figures in scoring 22 times this season and has scored at least 20 points in a game five times this season, including a career-high 33 points at Indianapolis on January 19.

"From Co-freshman of the year to First-Team All-Conference as a senior, Delaney has proven to be one of the best wing players in this league," Trost said. "He has worked very hard and his game has evolved and is very deserving of this award.  I'm very happy for Delaney and proud of what he has become."

Pischke earns his first All-GLVC honors after averaging 12.2 points and 2.3 assists per game during the regular season. He leads the team and is third in the GLVC in three-point field goal percentage at 48.1 percent (50-for-104). Pischke has reached double figures in scoring 16 times this season and has scored at least 20 points in a game five including a season-high of 27 points against William Jewell on January 24.

"I don't know if there is a young man that I have coached that has got more out of his ability than Pisch," Trost said.  "He works extremely hard and plays with a little chip on his shoulder.  He is not afraid of the moment and has made big play after big play for us this year.  I'm excited to have him back for another year."

Trost was recognized by his peers with his first GLVC Coach of the Year honor after his Flyers captured the league's regular-season championship with a 15-3 record in Conference play. Their 23-4 record currently has them ranked 15th nationally and first in the NCAA Division II Midwest Region. Lewis was picked to finish third in the GLVC Preseason Poll and was the only team outside of Bellarmine to garner first-place votes (2). Trost has now led the Flyers to the postseason in each of his 13 seasons on the sidelines. He now joins two other Lewis mentors who have won GLVC Coach of the Year a total of five times. Jim Whitesell was honored back in 2003-04, while Chuck Schwarz was voted as the league's top coach in 1981-82, 1984-85 and 1985-86.

Marco Pettinato (Mokena, Ill./Lincoln-Way West) was recognized as Lewis' nominee for the James R. Spalding Sportsmanship Award.

The Flyers open the GLVC Championship Tournament on Thursday (March 7), as the Flyers battle Truman State at 2:30 p.m. at the Vadalabene Center in Edwardsville, Ill.