Summit League Basketball: Ranking of 25 best players from last decade (2013-23)
By Joey Loose
16. Trenton Massner
Massner is a 6’2 guard from Wapello, Iowa, who actually got his career started in the Southland at Northwestern State. He arrived there in 2019 and was a decent weapon across the next two years for the Demons, averaging double figures in his sophomore season. After that breakout campaign, he transferred to Western Illinois and would star for the Leathernecks for his final two seasons.
A great addition to Rob Jeter’s program, Massner averaged 16.4 points, 6.2 rebounds, and 4.0 assists in his first season. He actually scored 21 points in a road win at Nebraska in his first game with the Leathernecks before topping that high several times later that year. His senior season was even more successful, as he’d average 19.0 points, 5.4 assists, and 5.2 rebounds for a Leathernecks squad that finished 4th in the Summit. He even had a 46-point outburst in a win over North Dakota.
He was Second Team All-Summit as a junior, but we’re mostly focusing on that great senior season, one that earned him both All-Defense and First Team All-Summit honors. Massner led the conference in steals as a junior and assists as a senior, all while boasting great shooting numbers for the Leathernecks. These Western Illinois squads weren’t exactly conference contenders, but Massner really showed his talents as a leader for this program.