INDIANAPOLIS – March Madness is officially here as the final regular season selection of Great Midwest Athletic Conference Men’s Basketball Player of the Week was announced on Monday afternoon.
 
The stage is set for the conference tournament quarterfinals that will tip off on Tuesday evening at four different host sites and the top seeds – Hillsdale, Findlay, Kentucky Wesleyan and Malone.
 
The final four of the bracket will then compete for a championship title at the highest remaining seed on Friday and Saturday. Times and location will be announced following tomorrow’s opening-round games.
 
Hillsdale locked in the regular season title outright and is the No. 1 overall seed in the conference tournament. The Chargers are ranked ninth nationally and Findlay is No. 21 in the most recent NABC Poll.
 
Both teams along with Kentucky Wesleyan are factors in the Atlantic Region ‘Under Consideration’ rankings. The winner of the Great Midwest Championship tournament will receive an AQ into the field of 48 for the NCAA Championship Atlantic Regional.
 
Men’s Basketball Player of the Week
Patrick Cartier
Hillsdale
Forward
Sophomore
Brookfield, WI (East HS)
 
For the fifth time in 2020-21, Cartier was tabbed conference player of the week as he established a new career-high point total and had his field percentage in the stratosphere.
 
The Chargers are streaking into the postseason on a high note on a 16-game win streak after defeating Tiffin and Cedarville to end the regular season.
 
As strange as it seems, this past week was nothing out of the ordinary for the high bar that Cartier has set around the league with his play this season. The sophomore averaged 25.5 points per game and shot a ridiculous 84 percent from the floor (21-of-25).
 
Cartier also averaged 6.5 rebounds and 3.5 assists per contest.
 
Teams continue to bring their best and the Chargers had to hold off an upset-minded Tiffin program with nothing to lose on Wednesday. Cartier put the team on his back with 32 points on 14-of-18 shooting in 34 minutes.
 
He pulled in eight boards and had three assists and three steals. He drilled his lone three-point shot attempt and made three FT’s as well.
 
Cartier was close to as perfect as it gets against playoff qualifier Cedarville in HC’s home finale of the regular season. He was 5-for-5 on all shots, including two threes and he was a perfect 7-for-7 at the charity stripe. Cartier again added five rebounds and four assists to go with one blocked shot.
 
Cartier ended the regular season as the league leader in scoring (20.4 ppg) and field goal percentage (.657). He was the conference freshman of the year last season and is no doubt a leading candidate for player of the year in the league.