Orediggers Hayden Diekhans named All American

The 2024-25 season was a coming-of-age season for Hayden Diekhans of the Montana Tech Orediggers.  Diekhans, by the start of last season, had gained a reputation as a relentless defender with a nice jump shot and unusual speed, but still more or less a role player for the then 3-time defending Frontier Conference regular season and tournament champions.  By the end of the season, the Orediggers were the 4-time defending Frontier Conference regular season and tournament champions, a first for any team in Frontier history, and Diekhans had emerged as a superstar, although one with a very blue-collar manner of business and was named the Frontier Conference Defensive Player of the Year as well as the league's Player of the Year awards.  On Monday, he was named to the NAIA's All America Second Team.

Diekhans led Montana Tech in scoring (13.2 points per game), rebounding (7.2), steals (41), and minutes played (926).  Three times during the regular season he was named the Frontier Conference's defensive player of the week and even took home the offensive honors one week.  He notched three double-doubles, including a 23-point, 11-rebound performance in the Orediggers Frontier tournament championship victory over Providence.

Montana Tech finished the season with a 24-7 record a swept the Frontier Conference regular-season and tournament championships and qualified for the NAIA national tournament for a fourth-straight season. The Orediggers were ranked 21st in the final NAIA top 25 of the season.

Montana Tech Men's Basketball NAIA All-Americans

Brian Watson (1998, second team; 1999, first team)
Sindou Diallo (2022, second team)
Caleb Bellach (2023, first team)
Asa Williams (2024, third team)
Hayden Diekhans (2025, second team)

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