TOWSON, Md. – Led by
senior forward Matt Howard of Butler University, all five members of the 2010-11
Capital One Academic All-America® Men’s Basketball University Division first team will lead their respective teams into the NCAA Division I Championship this week.
In women's basketball DI competition,
University of Connecticut senior Maya Moore, the two-time Capital One Academic All-America of the Year for women's basketball (University Division) and top performer for the No. 1 ranked Huskies, is one of seven members of the Capital One Academic All-America® Women’s Basketball University Division team leading her squad into the NCAA Division I Championship.
Howard is the Academic All-America® of the Year Award winner (University Division) like his counterpart Moore on the women's side. Howard is joined in March Madness with a quartet of other University Division First Team Academic All-America performers:
graduate student Tim Abromaitis of Notre Dame, senior Devon Beitzel of Northern Colorado, senior Tyrel Reed of Kansas and junior Tyler Zeller of North Carolina. Additionally, Academic All-America third team selection
junior forward Scott Saunders of Belmont joins them in NCAA tournament action.
In addition to Moore, the Capital One Academic All-America women's basketball players participating in the 2011 NCAA DI Championship include fellow First Team pick
senior guard Liz Repella of West Virginia; four second Team Academic All-Americans in
senior guard Angie Bjorklund of Tennessee,
senior guard Danielle Robinson of Oklahoma, Duke senior guard Jasmine Thomas and Northern Iowa junior guard Jacqui Kalin; along with third team Academic All-America
senior Kayla Tetschlag of Wisconsin Green Bay.
Men's Basketball Capital One Academic All-America®
honorees playing in the NCAAs
A finance major with a 3.77 G.P.A.,
Howard was named to the Capital One Academic All-America® Men’s Basketball University Division first team for the second year in a row. Last season, he led Butler to a 33-5 and a berth in the NCAA Championship Game where the Bulldogs lost to Duke, 61-59. A 6-8 forward, he averaged 11.6 points and 5.2 rebounds per game as a junior.
As a senior, Howard led the Bulldogs to the Horizon League Tournament championship and to their fifth straight NCAA Tournament appearance. Named as the Horizon League Tournament MVP for the second straight season, he is averaging 16.7 points and 7.8 rebounds per game. He has a .495 field goal percentage and a .780 free throw percentage.
The third-leading scorer (1,850 points) and rebounder (842 rebounds) in Butler history, Howard will lead eighth-seeded Butler (23-9) against ninth-seeded Old Dominion (27-6) in an NCAA Southeast regional first round game on Thursday, March 17 in Washington, D.C.
A graduate student with an undergraduate degree in finance,
Abromaitis graduated from Notre Dame with a 3.72 G.P.A. last year. He is currently pursuing his M.B.A. and holds a a 3.62 G.P.A. Named third team All-BIG EAST, he has helped fourth-ranked Notre Dame (26-6) earn the number two seed in the Southeast region. The Fighting Irish will face 15th-seeded Akron (23-12) in a first round NCAA Tournament game on Friday, March 18 in Chicago.
Named as the BIG EAST Scholar-Athlete of the Year for the second consecutive season, Abromaitis is Notre Dame’s second-leading scorer with a 15.3 average. One of the team captains, the 6-8 forward is also Notre Dame’s second-leading rebounder with a 6.1 mark.
The top scorer in the Big Sky Conference with a 21.4 average,
Beitzel led Northern Colorado to a 21-10 record and the Big Sky championship with a 65-60 win over Montana. A finance and accounting major with a 3.69 G.P.A., he was named as the Big Sky Player of the Year and the Big Sky Tournament MVP. The Big Sky leader with a .903 free throw percentage, Beitzel averages 3.3 rebounds per game. Beitzel and the Bears are seeded 15th in the West region and will play #2 San Diego State on Thursday (March 17) in Tucson, Ariz.
A pre-physical therapy and exercise science major with a 3.65 G.P.A.,
Reed is the third-leading scorer for second-ranked Kansas. While averaging 10.0 points per game, he earned honorable mention All-Big 12 Conference honors. He has helped the Big 12 champion Jayhawks post a 32-2 record. The Jayhawks, who are the top seed in the Southwest Region, will face 16th-seeded Boston University (20-13) in Tulsa on Friday (March 18) evening.
A business administration major with a 3.56 G.P.A.,
Zeller earned second team All-Atlantic Coast Conference honors while helping North Carolina post a 26-7 record as the ACC runners-up. The Tar Heels’ second-leading scorer with a 14.1 average, he ranks second in the Atlantic Coast Conference with a .538 field goal percentage. A 7-0 forward, Zeller is also the ninth-leading rebounder in the ACC with a 7.1 average. The winner of the Skip Prosser Award as the ACC’s top scholar-athlete, Zeller will lead the second-seeded Tar Heels against #15 Long Island (27-5) in an NCAA first round East regional matchup on March 18 in Charlotte.
A third team Academic All-America® selection,
Saunders has led Belmont to a 30-4 record and the Atlantic Sun Conference championship. A finance major with a 3.84 G.P.A., he was named second team all-conference, averaging 10.0 points and 5.4 rebounds per game with a .516 field goal percentage. The Bruins, who won the Atlantic Sun title with an 87-46 win over North Florida, are seeded 13th in the Southeast region and will face fourth-seeded Wisconsin in a first round game in Tucson.
Women's Basketball Capital One Academic All-America® honorees playing in the NCAAs
Named as the Capital One Women’s Basketball University Division Academic All-America® of the Year for the second straight season,
Moore leads two-time defending NCAA champion Connecticut in its quest for a third straight national championship.
Seeded first in the Philadelphia regional, UConn has a 32-1 record and has won 110 of its last 111 games. A four-year starter and two-time National Player of the Year, Moore has led UConn to back-to-back undefeated national championships. UConn will open tournament play on Monday, March 21 against 16th-seeded Hartford (17-15) in a game that will be played on its homecourt in Storrs, Connecticut.
Named as the Most Outstanding Performer at the 2010 NCAA Division I Tournament, Moore is a two-time winner of the Wade Trophy as the top women’s basketball player in the nation. An Individualized major with a 3.70 G.P.A., Moore also was named as the BIG EAST Player of the Year three times. She is the BIG EAST’s all-time scoring leader with 2,921 points in 149 career games. During her career, she has led UConn to a remarkable 146-3 record. A three-time All-BIG EAST first team selection, she was a catalyst in the Huskies’ NCAA-record 90-game winning streak that ended in December.
As a senior, Moore is averaging 22.8 points and 8.0 rebounds per game while guiding #1 UConn to a 32-1 record. The third-leading scorer in the nation, she is the ninth-leading scorer in NCAA Division I women’s basketball history. In her career, she has scored in double figures in 145 of 149 games to set an NCAA record. Honored as the BIG EAST Player of the Week 12 times, she was named as the BIG EAST Scholar-Athlete of the Year the last two years.
West Virginia's
Repella is another first team honoree who will lead her team into the NCAA Tournament. An exercise physiology major with a 3.94 G.P.A., the senior is a two-time All-BIG EAST first team selection. The eighth-leading scorer in West Virginia history with 1,586 points, she is averaging 13.9 points and 5.6 rebounds per game for the 23-9 Mountaineers. Repella will guide the Mountaineers, the number nine seed in the Dallas Regional, against eighth-seeded Houston in a first round matchup in Waco, Texas on Sunday, March 20.
Lady Vol senior guard
Bjorklund, a second team Academic All-America® pick, has led Tennessee (31-2) to the top seed in the Dayton Regional. An honorable mention All-Southeastern Conference selection, she is averaging 11.1 points per game. A first team Academic All-America® selection last season, Bjorklund leads the SEC with a .450 three-point field goal percentage. Bjorklund is a psychology major with a 3.63 G.P.A., and she and the Lady Vols take a 22-game winning streak into their NCAA Tournament first round matchup against Stetson (20-12) on Saturday, March 19 in Knoxville, Tenn.
Second team Academic All-America® selection
Robinson is a sociology major with a 3.50 G.P.A. A three-time All-Big 12 Conference first team pick, the Oklahoma senior guard has led the Sooners to a 21-11 record and is the fifth-leading scorer in OU history. This year, she is averaging 18.4 points, 3.6 rebounds and 4.1 assists per game. Robinson leads the Sooners, seeded sixth in the Dayton Regional, against 11th-seeded James Madison (26-7) in an NCAA Tournament first round game at Charlottesville, Va. on Saturday (March 19).
Thomas of sixth-ranked Duke was also named to the Capital One Academic All-America® second team. Named as the Atlantic Coast Conference Tournament Most Valuable Player the last two years, the senior guard has led Duke to back-to-back ACC championships.
While averaging 14.8 points, 3.9 rebounds, 3.3 assists and 2.4 steals per game, Thomas has led Duke to the number two seed in the Philadelphia Regional. The Blue Devils open NCAA Tournament play against Tennessee-Martin (21-10) in a game that will be played on Saturday, March 19 in Durham, N.C.
Another Capital One Academic All-America® second team selection, Northern Iowa junior guard
Kalin is an exercise science and kinesiology major with a 4.00 G.P.A. The Missouri Valley Conference Player of the Year, she led Northern Iowa to the MVC championship and a 27-5 record. The Most Valuable Player at the MVC Tournament, Kalin is averaging 15.2 points, 3.4 points and 3.1 assists per game. Led by Kalin, the Panthers are seeded 13th in the Dallas Regional. Northern Iowa will face fourth-seeded Michigan State (26-5) on Sunday, March 20 in an NCAA Tournament first round game in Wichita, Kan.
A Capital One Academic All-America® third team pick, Wisconsin Green Bay's
Tetschlag was the co-winner of the Horizon League Player of the Year award. A business administration major with a 3.80 G.P.A., the senior guard has paced the Phoenix to their 32-1 record and to the Horizon League championship. While averaging 13.7 points and 7.3 rebounds per game, she has a .506 field goal percentage and an .819 free throw mark. The Phoenix are seeded fifth in the Dallas Regional and will face 12th-seeded Arkansas Little Rock (23-7) on Sunday (March 20) in Wichita, Kan.
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About Capital One
Capital One Financial Corporation (
www.capitalone.com) is a financial holding company whose subsidiaries, which include Capital One, N.A. and Capital One Bank (USA), N. A., had $122.2 billion in deposits and $197.5 billion in total assets outstanding as of December 31, 2010. Headquartered in McLean, Virginia, Capital One offers a broad spectrum of financial products and services to consumers, small businesses and commercial clients. Capital One, N.A. has approximately 1,000 branch locations primarily in New York, New Jersey, Texas, Louisiana, Maryland, Virginia and the District of Columbia. A Fortune 500 company, Capital One trades on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol "COF" and is included in the S&P 100 index.
Capital One, an NCAA Corporate Champion, began its affiliation with college sports with the sponsorship of the 2001 Capital One Florida Citrus Bowl (now the Capital One Bowl) and ESPN’s Capital One Bowl Week. In 2010, Capital One launched the Capital One Cup, a prestigious new program rewarding NCAA Division I athletics programs for their cumulative on-field performance across multiple men’s and women’s sports. In addition, Capital One sponsors the ABC College Football Halftime Report, Capital One All-America Mascot Team, all 88 NCAA Championships including the Division I Men’s and Women’s Basketball Championships, and numerous other collegiate athletics programs.
About the Capital One Academic All-America Program 
To be eligible, a student-athlete must be a varsity starter or key reserve, maintain a cumulative grade point average of 3.30 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 program’s inception in 1952, CoSIDA has bestowed Academic All-America honors on more than 15,000 student-athletes in Divisions I, II, III and NAIA, covering all NCAA championship sports.
For more information about the Academic All-America® Teams program, please visit
www.cosida.com/Awards/allamerica.aspx.
FOR MORE INFORMATION:
Dan O’Connell, Towson University
Academic All-America ® Vice-Chair for Publicity/Communications
doconnell@towson.edu
p: (410) 704-3102
Jeff Schwartz, North Dakota State University
Academic All-America ® Coordinator of Publicity
Jeff.Schwartz@ndsu.edu
p: (701) 231-8332