Bright named Academic All-American
2/26/2008 1:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
HUNTSVILLE ? Sam Houston State senior Ryan Bright was one of 15 NCAA Division I men's basketball players named to the 2008 ESPN The Magazine Academic All-America team on Tuesday. Bright, a third-team selection, currently carries a 3.59 GPA as a kinesiology major.
The Academic All-America team is selected by vote of members of the College Sports Information Directors Association (CoSIDA).
Bright ranks fifth in NCAA Division I men's basketball in rebounds with 11.2 boards per game. The Deer Park product scores 11.2 points per contest. He ranks fourth in Sam Houston career rebounds with 910 boards and ninth in career scoring with 1,345 points.
But with all of the success Bright is having on the basketball court, his real mark is being made in the classroom. The senior has always put books ahead of basketballs and last year he was rewarded for it. Last season he was named the Southland Conference Basketball Student Athlete of the year.
“That was something mom and dad are more proud of than any basketball accomplishment because that translates more to life than basketball,” Bright said.
The act of balancing basketball and academics had been pretty easy for Bright. He said it was something he made a point of emphasis when he first stepped foot on the SHSU campus.
“Getting an education is first and foremost,” Bright said. “That has always been the case for me. That is something I learned from my parents a long time ago. Basketball was always just a means to get an education.”
A total of 15 Division I players were recognized for their academic achievements as well as what they do on the court. Only two players from the state of Texas were on the list, with D.J. Augustine from Texas earning first-team recognition.
The Bearkats have four more regular season games this year beginning Wednesday with a road contest against Texas-Arlington.
ESPN The Magazine Academic All-America
First Team
Name School Year GPA Major
D.J. Augustin Texas So. 3.64 Education
Adam Emmenecker Drake Sr. 3.97 Management, Business
Justin Hare Belmont Sr. 3.87 Exercise Science & Health
Jack Leasure Coastal Carolina Sr. 3.82 History
Brett Winkelman North Dakota State Jr. 3.84 Industrial Engineering and Management
Second Team
Name School Year GPA Major
A.J. Graves Butler Sr. 3.35 Actuarial Science
Bryan Mullins Southern Illinois Jr. 4.00 Finance
Drew Neitzel Michigan State Sr. 3.27 Interdisciplinary humanities
Joe Reitz Western Michigan Sr. 3.72 Finance
Mike Schachtner Wisconsin-Green Bay Jr. 3.81 Psychology
Third Team
Name School Year GPA Major
Ryan Bright Sam Houston State Sr. 3.59 Kinesiology
Matt Nelson Boise State Sr. 3.52 Business
Greg Paulus Duke Jr. 3.30 Political Science
Alex Ruoff West Virginia Jr. 3.79 History
Drew Streicher Butler Gr. 3.95 Chemistry, MBA
Ryan Bright Fact Box information:
? 2008 Third Team ESPN The Magazine Academic All-America
? Southland Conference men's basketball "Student-Athlete of the Year" in 2007
? First team All-Southland Conference selection in 2007
? 2-time First team Academic All-SLC with 3.59 grade point average
? 3-time SLC Player of the Week in 2007
? 20th Bearkat to score more than 1,000 career points
? Dean's List student and a member of the SHSU Student Athlete Advisory Council
? Southland Conference "Freshman of the Year" in 2005
