PELLA— At 6 feet, 10 inches, Central College's Joshua Van Gorp (junior, Pella, Pella Christian HS) is accustomed to towering above the crowd. And Wednesday the Dutch center soared higher than any player in program history as he was named to the National Association of Basketball Coaches All-America team.
           

He was a third-team selection.
           
Van Gorp earlier was the fifth Central player to gain first-team NABC all-district recognition, but he's the first to be added to the organization's all-America list. He's the only Iowa collegian cited this year. The selections were made by NABC Division III member coaches.
           
"Obviously, we're really happy for Josh," coach Joe Steinkamp said. "He had an unbelievable season and I also think it's a tribute to our team as well because, historically, you have to win games to get on that list. Josh was so efficient. To be able to score, rebound and defend and to shoot at the percentages he did, just shows a lot about his all-around game."
           
After helping lead Central to the program's 18th conference championship, Van Gorp was named the American Rivers most valuable player. A two-time first-team all-conference selection, Van Gorp ranks fourth in the NCAA Division III in field goal percentage (68.0). He averaged a team-high 17.5 points with 7.6 rebounds and 1.5 blocks for the season and helped the Dutch lead Division III in blocks per game (6.2) while ranking third nationally in field goal percentage defense (36.8%). He was a three-time conference player of the week. He posted four double-doubles, including a 36-point, 11-rebound effort in a conference tourney semifinal game Feb. 23. His 36-point outing is tied for 16th-highest in school history.
           
The Dutch were picked to finish eighth in the league but in Steinkamp's first season as head coach, they took the crown with a 13-3 mark and an 18-7 overall record after going 7-17 in 2021-22.
           
"That's the thing with a post player, you need players around you to get you the ball," Steinkamp said. "Teams gameplan around Josh but our team led the league in assists all year (18.2 per game) and was one of the top teams in the country in assists. Josh was on the receiving end of a lot of those. It shows the unselfishness of this team."
           
It's a milestone moment for an historically successful program.
           
"It's kind of crazy that we've never had an (NABC) all-American before with some of the really good teams that we've had, but it couldn't go to a more unselfish guy and a more unselfish team," Steinkamp said.
           
And while Van Gorp is 6-10, he's not yet reached his performance ceiling.
           
"He's learning how to play through double teams and still be able to score," Steinkamp said. "We're expecting big things in the future. This is probably just one of the awards he'll continue to rack up."
           
The honor is also emblematic of a program on the rise.
           
"We weren't satisfied with how the season ended up and our players are working extremely hard in the off-season," Steinkamp said. "But this award says a lot to the players coming into our program that you can be an all-American at Central and we've got some really great pieces going into next season.  Josh is a big part of that but, beyond Josh, we're returning four starters and some key bench pieces for the future. We're really excited about where we're going as a program."
           
NABC Division III All-America First Team
Levi Borchert – Wis.-Oshkosh
Tyson Cruickshank - Wheaton (IL)
Vinny DeAngelo - Swarthmore
Austin Grunder - SUNY Cortland
Jeff Hunter - Keene St.
Josiah Johnson - Mary Hardin-Baylor
Miles Mallory - Randolph-Macon
Ja'Zere Noel - Rowan
Christian Parker - Mount Union
Alex Sobel - Middlebury
 
NABC Division III All-America Second Team
Raheem Anthony - Saint Mary's
Steven Breeman - Montclair St.
Jack Clement - Ohio Wesleyan
Daniel Cook - St. John Fisher
Jackson Danzig - Scranton
Jake Harrison - Western New England
Tate Ivanyo - Anderson
Greg Rowson - Mary Washington
Dylan Thoerner - Tufts
Calvin Williams IV - St. Thomas
 
NABC Division III All-America Third Team
Octavio Brito - Keene St.
Ryan Broeckel - Wisconsin Lutheran
EJ Day - Lasell
Isaiah Geathers - Lehman
Jackson Meshanic - Hobart
Brendan Mora - Pomona-Pitzer
Jalen Overway - Calvin
Myles Rasnick - Maryville
Joshua Van Gorp - Central
Jalen Vaughns - Neumann