Click here to view the complete Capitol One Academic All-District 7 team
ITHACA, N.Y. — Fort Lewis College center
Matt Morris was named to the Capital One Academic All-District 7 men's basketball second team, the College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA) Academic All-America Committee announced today.
Morris, a 6-foot-6, 235-lb. junior from Durango High School, carries a 3.64 grade point average in Business Administration-Finance with a minor in Economics. Last month, he was chosen as the
Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference Men's Basketball Academic Player of the Year and named to the RMAC All-Academic first team. He was a first team RMAC All-Academic performer and a second team All-RMAC West Division selection a year ago. He is also a two-time D2 Athletic Directors Association/WeatherPORT Academic Achievement Award recipient.
“Matt is the epitome of the successful DII student-athlete,” said FLC Director of Athletics
Kelly Higgins. “He's a local kid, hard working on the floor and off, leader of SAAC [FLC's Student-Athlete Advisory Committee], a genuinely good person, and as can be seen, very successful in the classroom and on the court. Every good team and school needs a
Matt Morris in their program and I'm glad he's a Skyhawk!”
“I think Matt is well deserving of this honor,” said 15th year FLC men's basketball coach
Bob Hofman. “In all facets of his life, he is always trying to serve; he's never trying to receive. Not only does he do a great job in the classroom, he's a warrior on the basketball floor. He also does more community service than anybody I've ever coached. We like to think that Matt represents what Fort Lewis basketball is all about.”
Morris ranks among RMAC leaders in offensive rebounds (fourth, 2.3 per game), field goal shooting (fifth. .578), rebounding (ninth, 6.1 per game) and scoring (16th, 13.6 points per game).
He becomes just the second Fort Lewis men's basketball player to be named to the CoSIDA Academic All-District 7 team. Ryan Ostrom was named to the Academic All-District 7 first team in 1997-98.
Nominations and voting for the Capitol One All-America programs are conducted by members of the College Sports Information Directors of America. There is a University Division (Division I programs) and a College Division (DII, DIII, NAIA, NJCAA programs).
Two Academic All-District teams are chosen in each district, with those on the All-District first teams placed on the national ballot for Academic All-America consideration.
Fort Lewis (15-3 overall, 11-3 RMAC) is ranked No. 1 in the NCAA Division II Central Region. The Skyhawks hit the road this weekend, playing two teams who are chasing them in the league standings. The Skyhawks play at Western New Mexico (9-13, 9-6) at 8 p.m. Friday and at New Mexico Highlands (14-5, 10-5) at 8 p.m. Saturday. FLC previously defeated New Mexico Highlands 94-84 on Jan. 7 and Western New Mexico 103-61 on Jan. 8 in Whalen Gymnasium.
