I have long been a fan of big point guards. Growing up I admired Gary Payton, Jason Kidd and of course Magic Johnson. What made those guys so special to me was their exceptional passing skills, ability to score when needed and advanced rebounding prowess. As a big stat guy, the ability to produce triple-doubles has always amazed me and those three combined for 259 of them. Nothing was more fun than watching those three grab a rebound on the defensive end and then lead the fast break.

Matt Schauss of Bethel College IS one of those players. The 6’4” senior is one of the most well rounded guards in the state of Indiana. On any given night he can lead the team in points, rebounds or assists. On the season he is averaging 20.2 points per game, good for second on the team, and a team leading 9.2 rebounds per game and 5.1 assists per game. In a win over NCAA D II St. Joseph’s College back in december, Schauss recorded his first triple-double and only fourth in program history, when he scored 23 points, grabbed 10 rebounds and dished out 10 assists.

Congrats to Matt Schauss for becoming the 4th player in Bethel history to reach a triple-double. He's in good company pic.twitter.com/2Xa34e7X0s

— Bethel Hoops (@BethelHoops) December 14, 2014

Schauss is the only player from Indiana to record a triple-double this season and is also the only player that has scored 40 points in a game. Against Mt. Vernon Nazarene this past Saturday Matt was nearly perfect. He scored 40 points on 12-15 shooting from the field, including 5-5 from three point territory and nailed 11-11 free throws in the blowout win. Just to show his versatility he grabbed 14 rebounds and handed out four assists. Schauss was named Crossroads Player of the Week Monday for the fourth time this year.

Congrats to Matt Schauss earning his third @Crossroads_NAIA Player of the Week honor: http://t.co/4V6n2RahFY pic.twitter.com/GZ3d8ghrEY

— Bethel Hoops (@BethelHoops)December 15, 2014

As a high school senior Schauss was named Tri-Eastern Conference Player of The Year. He was also honorable mention All-State after averaging over 21 ppg while leading Centerville High School to a 17-7 record and a third consecutive Sectional championship. He was the 37th ranked player in the class of 2011 according to Indiana Basketball Source.

While I’m sure Matt had dreams of playing Division I basketball like the rest of us, he’s found a home at Bethel. In his fourth season as a Pilot, he has won 85 games while only losing 35. This season he has led Bethel to a 17-3 record and a #8 ranking in the NAIA Division II top 25 coaches poll. With help from teammates Zach Miller and Clay Yeo, Bethel is a serious threat to accomplish what rival Indiana Wesleyan was able to do last season and win the NAIA National Championship.

He started the season as 1st team All-Conference pick and should end the season in the same spot. But the way he is playing in his final season as a Bethel Pilot, Schauss has made himself a strong contender for POY honors in the Crossroads League and national All-American status.

Unrelated to his basketball skills but worth sharing are his rapping skills. Check out the video below!