Ottumwa, IA – Sophomore Taj Au-Duke (Toronto, Canada/Pepperdine) of the Indian Hills Men's Basketball squad has been named a National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA) DI Men's Basketball First-Team All-American, announced by the national office Wednesday afternoon.
Au-Duke becomes the 18th individual in program history to earn NJCAA First-Team All-American honors. As a team, the Warriors have now earned an NJCAA First-Team All-American in each of the last six seasons.
"Taj is a true leader and played and practice through injuries and adversity all year," stated head coach Cole Dewey. "He never once complained, and simply brought his best, day in and day out."
A first-team NJCAA All-Region 11 selection, Au-Duke led the Iowa Community College Athletic Conference (ICCAC) with a team-high 12.8 points per game on the year to go along with a league-best 5.1 assists per game. Au-Duke is the first individual to lead the ICCAC in both scoring and assists since the 2019-20 season.
Au-Duke's 167 total assists on the year are the most for the Warriors since Chris McNeal's 179 assists during the 2016-17 season.
The team's primary floor general on the year, Au-Duke was named an ICCAC DI Men's Basketball Athlete of the Week on three separate occasions. Au-Duke helped lead the program to the NJCAA Region 11 and NJCAA North Central District Championships to advance to the NJCAA DI Men's Basketball National Championship.
Au-Duke scored in double-figures in 26 of the team's 33 games on the year, including four games with at least 20 points. The sophomore scored a season-high 26 points in a win at Highland Community College (IL) on January 22.
On the year, Au-Duke shot 44.8 percent from the floor to go along with a 79.3 percent clip from the free throw line.
In addition, fellow sophomores KJ LaMonte (Davenport, IA/New Mexico Highlands) and Mason Costello (Waukee, IA/Waukee) joined Au-Duke on the NJCAA All-American squad. The trio become the 38th, 39th, and 40th NJCAA All-Americans in program history for the Warriors. 2026 marks the first time in school history that the Warriors have earned three All-Americans in a single season. The Warriors have now earned multiple All-American honors in each of the last five seasons.
Read More: LaMonte Named Second-Team All-American
Read More: Costello Named Third-Team All-American
"Taj, KJ, and Mason all operate like All-Americans every day," added Dewey. "Awards like this don't just happen, they are earned daily through consistency, effort, and attitude. I'm so proud of these guys, along with the rest of the Warriors this year. Every one sacrificed so much for the greater good of the team, so it's awesome when they get rewarded like this."
The Warriors wrapped up the 2025-26 campaign with a 30-3 overall record, ranked No. 2 in the final national rankings, NJCAA Region 11 and NJCAA North Central District champions, and earned the team's 21st all-time trip to the national tournament, tied for fifth-most all-time.
NEW YEAR - WHAT TO KNOW
Fans can keep up the Indian Hills Basketball squad all year long through a number of ways:
- X (formerly Twitter): @IHCCAthletics | @IHCCBasketball
- Facebook: Indian Hills Athletics | Indian Hills Basketball
- Instagram: @IHCCAthletics | @IHCCBasketball
- Youtube: Indian Hills Athletics
- Website: www.indianhillsathletics.com
- Catch up with the history of Indian Hills Men's Basketball: Indian Hills Men's Basketball Record Book
- All home games are played at Hellyer Student Life Center on the Indian Hills - Ottumwa campus
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