March 05, 2003
Texas A&M senior forward Brian Brookhart is one of 15 student-athletes who have been named to the 2003 Men's Basketball Academic All-Big 12 Team, the conference office announced Thursday.
Brookhart made the team for the second straight year. Other two-time honorees are Baylor senior Andre White, Iowa State junior Jake Sullivan and Oklahoma sophomore Blake Johnston.
Kansas senior Nick Collison received a league-leading third academic all-Big 12 honor. The Iowa Falls, Iowa, senior earned a first-team selection this season, and was a member of the second team in 2001 and 2002.
These student-athletes and their teams will participate in the 2003 Phillips 66 Big 12 Conference Men's Basketball Tournament March 13-16 at the American Airlines Center in Dallas, Texas. Oklahoma won the 2002 Big 12 Conference Tournament title, and looks to defend its championship next week. Both Oklahoma and Kansas, the conference tournament runner-up last season, advanced to the Final Four last season.
Nominated by each institution's director of student-athlete support services and the media relations offices, the men's basketball academic all-league squad consisted of 10 first-team members combined with five others on the second team. First-team members consist of those who have maintained a 3.20 or better grade-point average, while the second team are those who have a 3.00 to 3.19 GPA.
To qualify student-athletes must maintain a 3.00 grade point average or higher either cumulative or in the two previous semesters, and must have participated in 60 percent of his team's scheduled contests. Freshmen and transfers are not eligible in their first year of academic residence. Senior student-athletes who have participated for a minimum of two years and meet all the criteria except percent of participation are eligible.