ESPN The Magazine Academic All-America Team
Selected by CoSIDA
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Wednesday, March 1, 2006
Contact: Dick Lipe, Bentley, 781-891-2334, 781-223-5410 or rlipe@bentley.edu
West Virginias Herber & Illinois Wesleyans Amelianovich Head
2006 ESPN The Magazine Academic All-America Mens Basketball Team
WALTHAM, Mass. Senior guard Johannes Herber of West Virginia University and senior forward Keelan Amelianovich of Illinois Wesleyan University head the 2006 ESPN the Magazine Academic All-America Mens Basketball Team, as selected by the College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA).
Herber was named the Academic All-America of the Year for the university division while Amelianovich received the same honor for the college division. Herber is making his third appearance on the national team, having also earned first team honors last year and third team accolades in 2004. Amelianovich is making his second appearance on the national team, having also earned first team honors in 2005.
A product of Darmstadt, Germany, Herber owns a 4.0 grade point average in political science. He has started all 122 career games for the Mountaineers and is WVUs all-time leader in career starts and consecutive starts. He ranks fifth in career assists with 448. Herber has been instrumental in helping West Virginia to a 20-8 overall record and an 11-4 mark in the Big East Conference.
Herber is averaging 9.8 points, 4.5 assists and 3.6 rebounds this season. He leads West Virginia in assists and is third in scoring, rebounding and field goal percentage. He scored a career-high 23 points in a big win at No. 4 Villanova earlier this season.
It's a tremendous honor to receive this award, said Herber. It's rewarding to know that my hard work has paid off and it tells me that I'm doing the right thing. It's special for me to be on the first team, but it's really quite an honor to be the lone guy who received the Player of the Year award.
In addition to Herber, three others on the university division team are repeat members from last year: senior Will Emerson of Mercer University (first team), senior Dan Grunfeld of Stanford University (first team) and senior Neil Plank of Illinois State University (third team).
Keelan Amelianovich has helped Illinois Wesleyan to a 20-6 record this season and a berth in the NCAA Division III Tournament for the fourth consecutive season. The Naperville, Ill., native is averaging 18.2 points and 4.5 rebounds for the Titans, who have won three College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin championships.
Amelianovich is one of 10 finalists for the Jostens Trophy, which honors the true Division III student-athlete the athlete that shows excellence in the classroom, on the playing floor and in the community. He is No. 9 on the colleges scoring list with 1,468 points and is tied for second place with 235 three-pointers. His .509 career field goal percentage is 13th best in college history and he also has 395 career rebounds.
"Balancing academics with athletics at Illinois Wesleyan is a commitment that has been so worthwhile, said Amelianovich. I have been afforded the opportunity to do an internship in my major field and my association with professors has been great. The basketball success I've had here has been the icing on the cake of a great collegiate experience.
In addition to Amelianovich, four others on the college division team are repeat members from last year: Zach Wheatley of Chapman University (first team), Andrew St. Clair of Colby-Sawyer College (first team), Alan Bock of Mount Vernon Nazarene University (third team), and Brandon Bushey of York University of Pennsylvania (third team).
The Academic All-America Teams program honors 816 male and female student-athletes annually who have succeeded at the highest level on the playing field and in the classroom. Individuals are selected through voting by CoSIDA (the College Sports Information Directors of America), a 2,000 member organization consisting of sports public relations professionals for colleges and universities in the United States and Canada.
To be eligible, a student-athletes must be a varsity starter or key reserve, maintain a cumulative grade point average of 3.20 on a scale of 4.00, have reached sophomore athletic and academic standings at his/her current institution and be nominated by his/her sports information director. Since the programs inception in 1952, CoSIDA has bestowed Academic All-America honors on more than 14,000 student-athletes in Divisions I, II, III and NAIA covering all NCAA championship sports.
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2006 ESPN The Magazine Academic All-America Mens Basketball Team (University Division)
as selected by CoSIDA
First Team
Name School (Dist.) Year Hometown GPA Major
Will Emerson Mercer (III) Sr. Saint Marys, Ga. 4.00 Biology
Dan Grunfeld Stanford (VIII) Sr. River Hills, Wis. 3.66 Amer Studies
Johannes Herber West Virginia (II) Sr. Darmstadt, Germany 4.00 Political Sci
Chris Quinn Notre Dame (V) Sr. Dublin, Ohio 3.24 Marketing
Kibwe Trim Sacred Heart (I) Sr. San Juan, Trinidad 3.69 Comp Sci
Second Team
Name School (Dist.) Year Hometown GPA Major
Steve Burtt Iona (I) Sr. New York, N.Y. 3.38 Marketing
Kelly Golob Northern Arizona (VIII) Sr. Olympia, Wash. 3.79 Exer Sci
Lee Humphrey Florida (III) Jr. Maryville, Tenn. 3.74 Applied Physiology and Kinesiology Exercise Physiology
Matt Stehle Harvard (I) Sr. Newton, Mass. 3.28 Government
Brian Thornton Xavier (Ohio) (IV) Gr. Louisville, Ky. 3.60 MBA/BA in Liberal Arts
Third Team
Name School (Dist.) Year Hometown GPA Major
Kevin Bookout Oklahoma (VI) Sr. Stroud, Okla. 3.25 Human Rel
Greg Brunner Iowa (VII) Sr. Charles City, Iowa 3.25 Comm Studies
Lenny Collins Cornell (I) Sr. San Juan Capistrano, CA 3.63 Industrial and Labor Relations
Adam Haluska Iowa (VII) Jr. Carroll, Iowa 3.41 Fin & Mkt
Alex Loughton Old Dominion (III) Sr. Perth, Australia 3.42 Marketing
Neil Plank Illinois State (V) Gr. Mount Zion, Ill. 3.93 Finance/MBA
Zac Schlader Austin Peay (IV) Sr. Columbia, Mo. 3.71 Health-Wellness Promotion
ACADEMIC ALL-AMERICA OF THE YEAR: Johannes Herber
2006 ESPN The Magazine Academic All-America Mens Basketball Team (College Division)
as selected by CoSIDA
First Team
Name School Year Hometown GPA Major
Keelan Amelianovich Illinois Wesleyan (V) Sr. Naperville, Ill. 3.82 Accounting
Dusty Jura Nebraska-Kearney (VII) Jr. Columbus, Neb. 3.93 Sports Admin
Zach Wheatley Chapman (VIII) Sr. Fountain Valley, Calif. 3.97 Math
Andrew St. Clair Colby-Sawyer (I) Sr. Pittsfield, Maine 3.68 Sport Mgmt
Matt Drahos Bethany (WV) (II) Sr. Wheeling, W.Va. 3.51 Biology
Second Team
Name School Year Hometown GPA Major
Jason Greenlee La Verne (VIII) Sr. San Dimas 3.89 Accounting
Troy Ruths Washington Univ. (VII) So. Sugar Land, Texas 4.0 Comp Science
Matt Causey North Georgia (III) Jr. Gainesville, Ga. 3.75 Biology
Mike Drahos Bethany (WV) (II ) Sr. Wheeling, W.Va. 3.65 Psychology
Andy Warnock Ohio Wesleyan (IV) Sr. Delaware, Ohio 3.93 Economics Management
Third Team
Name School Year Hometown GPA Major
Chris Braier Lawrence (V) Sr. Wauwatosa, Wis. 3.56 Biology
Brandon Bushey York (Pa) (II) Sr. Littlestown, Pa. 3.89 Criminal Justice
Alan Bock Mt. Vernon Nazarene (IV) Sr. Tallmadge, Ohio 3.99 Biology
Clayton Barlow-Wilcox Carnegie Mellon (II) Sr. Brookline, Mass. 3.65 Bus Admin, Social and Cultural History
Mike D'Auria MIT (I) Sr. Newton, Mass. 3.49 Materials Sci & Eng
ACADEMIC ALL-AMERICA OF THE YEAR: Keelen Amelianovich, Illinois Wesleyan