FRISCO, Texas – The Southland Conference's third-leading scorer, Nate Calmese, has been named SLC Freshman of the Year announced league officials Friday afternoon. Calmese becomes just second Cardinal to be named conference player of the year (Keith Veney – 1993), and the first player in program history to be named Southland Conference Player of the Year.
 
Throughout the season, Calmese has been among the leaders for the Southland scoring title, and for a time led the entire league despite his freshman status, but never feel out of the top five. In addition to be the league's third-overall leading scorer, Calmese's finished the year as the nation's second-leading freshman scorer just behind Alabama's Brandon Miller. His 17.6 points per game during the regular season also ranks 76^th nationally.
 
Calmese played in and started all 31 games this season shooting 48 percent from the field while knocking down 61-of-166 (.367) three-point attempts. Calmese ended the season just outside the league's top five in three-point field-goal percentage and ranked eighth in the league in three-point field goals per game.
 
He struck for double figures 26 times, including 15 20-point outings and had two 30 point outings. He scored 31 against Our Lady of the Lady and bested that with a career-high 32 points against Houston Christian. Calmese bested his previous career high six times during the 2022-23 campaign, and his 15 games of at least 20 points also ranked among the national leaders for freshmen.