NCAA DIVISION II NATIONAL PLAYERS OF THE WEEK – Tuesday, December 16, 2025

Jakob Braaten, 6-5, Senior, Southwest Minnesota State
Hometown: Byron, Minnesota

Braaten averaged a double-double with 16.3 points and 10 assists per game to help lead Southwest Minnesota State to three wins last week, including a pair of road victories in Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference play. After recording nine points and a school record 17 assists in a win over North Central to begin the week, Braaten came up big in the scoring column with a career-high 27 points to go along with eight rebounds and six assists in an 80-71 win at Concordia-St. Paul. He followed that up with a 13-point, seven-assist outing with four rebounds and three steals as the Mustangs routed Winona State 76-56 on Saturday.

In the three victories, Braaten made 68 percent of his field goal attempts (19-of-28) and all nine free throws, while averaging 5.7 rebounds and two steals per game to go along with the 30 assists during the week. In the two NSIC wins, he went 15-of-20 from the field and had his fourth game with at least 20 points this season in the win over Concordia-St. Paul. Braaten, named as the NSIC's South Division Player of the Week, has helped lead the 6-4 Mustangs to four consecutive wins.