WINONA, Minn. — When the season started, Saint Mary's University men's basketball coach Todd Landrum knew what a special player he had in freshman Chris Palmer (Faribault, Minn.).
When the season ended, everyone in the Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference — and everyone in NCAA Division III, for that matter — knew who Palmer was.
An honorable-mention All-MIAC selection and a member of the conference's All-First Year Team, Palmer earned another post-season honor Tuesday, being named D3hoops.com West Region Rookie of the Year.
Palmer took the MIAC by storm in his first season, ranking fourth in the conference in scoring (299 points, 15.0 ppg) and fifth in rebounding (171 rebounds, 8.6 rpg). The Cardinal freshman, who put together eight double-doubles — including four in SMU's last five games — led the league in free throws made (95), was third in the MIAC in free throw percentage (95-for-110, .864) and offensive rebounds (50, 2.5 orpg), and fifth in defensive rebounds (121, 6.05 drpg).
Overall, Palmer appeared in all 25 games for the Cardinals, averaging 14.4 ppg and a team-best 8.1 rpg, in helping SMU to a 9-16 overall mark. Palmer scored 10 or more points in 19 of the team's 25 games — including a career-high 26-point effort against Concordia on Jan. 16 — while also leading the team in rebounds 16 times.
D3hoops.com All-Region Teams
