SALEM, Va. – Dempsey Roggenbuck, one of the most highly decorated and accomplished players in Linfield men's basketball history, has been named a finalist for the 2022 Jostens Trophy.
The Jostens Trophy honors two players annually – one for men's basketball and one for women's basketball. The national awards were created by the Rotary Club of Salem (Va.) and sponsored by Jostens, Inc., to recognize the most outstanding men's and women's Division III basketball players of the year.
The awards focus on three major criteria: basketball ability, academic prowess, and service to one's surrounding communities. The Jostens Trophy models the Rotary International motto of "Service Above Self" by recognizing those who truly fit the ideal of a well-rounded Division III student-athlete. The 2022 season marks the 24th time the Jostens Trophy honors will be awarded. Roggenbuck is one of 11 men's finalists for the award out of a record number of nominees, and the only representing the Northwest Conference. Should Roggenbuck be selected as the winner he would be the first from the NWC in the award's history.
"Dempsey has been an extraordinary player, leader and student in his years at Linfield," said head men's basketball coach Shanan Rosenberg. "He will go down as one of the most impactful players in Linfield basketball history. His election as a finalist for this prestigious award is a testament to his accomplishments as a student, an athlete and a campus leader. His character is second to none."
A graduate student from Marin County, California, Roggenbuck has been the face of the Linfield men's basketball program for almost the entirety of his five-year career.
He capped off his time at Linfield this season by leading the Wildcats to their second consecutive Northwest Conference regular-season championship, marking the first time the program has claimed consecutive league titles since 1978.
On the way to the title, he averaged 20.1 points per game (2nd in the NWC) on 47.5 percent shooting with a 31.6 percent mark on three-pointers and 83.4 percent on free throws (1st in the NWC). He also pulled down 3.6 rebounds and dished out 2.3 assists per game while playing a team-high 32.4 minutes per game. His performance led to him being named an All-NWC First Team selection for the second time in his career, and his fourth overall All-NWC selection.
He is just the sixth player in the program's 110-year history to be a four-time all-league selection and the 18th to be named a first-team selection. After leading the nation in scoring at 29.7 points per game during his shortened, 14-game senior season in 2021 he became the just the fifth player in Linfield basketball history to earn All-American status.
Roggenbuck became Linfield's fourth all-time leading scorer in his fifth season, finishing with 1,995 career points. He sits first all-time in 94 games started. And at 3,004 career minutes played, has worn the purple and cardinal on the hardwood for more minutes than any other player in Linfield history.
Roggenbuck's name is also spread throughout the Linfield record books at second in career made three's (174), third in made field goals (727), sixth in games played (108) and ninth in made free throws (367). His career scoring average of 18.4 points per game is good enough for eighth all-time.
Off the court, Roggenbuck is a member of the inaugural cohort of the Linfield University School of Business Master's program, and is expected to complete a master's degree in Business, Design and Innovation in May.
He graduated from Linfield in 2021 with a bachelor's degree in Management with a minor in Sport Management. Through his academic career he has maintained a cumulative GPA of 3.8 and has been named to the Linfield Dean's List six different semesters.
Roggenbuck has also been involved with numerous service organizations throughout his time as a Wildcat, volunteering with the McMinnville chapter of Habitat for Humanity as well as at local charity events such as Bounty of Yamhill County, an annual event benefiting the Yamhill Enrichment Society, a local organization working to transform the lives of Yamhill County children through literacy and music enrichment, and SIP! – McMinnville Food & Wine Classic, an annual event benefitting St. James Catholic School in McMinnville. He also volunteers at local elementary schools reading to students and has been a volunteer camp counselor at numerous community sports camps.
Roggenbuck and the other 11 men's finalists will now be reviewed by the Jostens Trophy National Selection Committee. The 27-person committee is composed of men and women from across the country. The committee features current and former athletic administrators and head coaches, past Jostens Trophy recipients, and select members of the Division III media. The committee will spend the next two weeks reviewing the nominees with the aim of announcing the two winners on Thursday, March 24.
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