Marshall University Athletics
@HerdMBB's Loop Named C-USA All-Academic Selection
3/6/2015 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
IRVING, Texas - Marshall sophomore Austin Loop (South Webster, Ohio) has been named to the 2015 Conference USA Men's Basketball All-Academic Team, the league announced on Friday.
The award recognizes athletes for their achievements in the classroom and on the court, as the recipients must hold a minimum 3.2 GPA and are a starter or key reserve for their team. The honor is the first of Loop's career. He is one of three Marshall players to receive the award since the Herd joined the league in 2005 (Johnny Thomas in 2011, Adam Williams in 2009).
"It's a great story, what he came through this year," coach Dan D'Antoni said. "To be able to earn a scholarship, and add some accolades to it at the end is pretty impressive so congratulations to him. I hope we have many more like him. He embodies what it means to be a student-athlete."
Loop is the league's top 3-point weapon, draining a conference-best 79 treys on the season with a 38.3 percent efficiency. The guard also claims the league's best free throw percentage at 89.6 (60-of-67). He scored a career-high 26 points against Charlotte on Jan. 10 and nailed six triples to fuel the Herd's 87-82 upset of Western Kentucky on Feb. 14. Loop is one of only two players to start every game for Marshall this season and was offered a scholarship this semester after joining the team as a walk-on in 2012-13. Loop is a two-time selection to the Commissioner's Honor Roll as a double major in clinical exercise physiology and biomechanics.
Below is a complete list of the honorees, who will be competing in Saturday's men's basketball regular season final games before heading to Birmingham, Alabama, for the 2015 C-USA Men's Basketball Championship March 11-14.
2015 C-USA Men's Basketball All-Academic Team
NAME - SCHOOL - YEAR - GPA - MAJOR
Kris Gulley - FIU - Grad - 3.78 - Criminal Justice
Austin Loop - Marshall - Sophomore - 3.60 - Clinical Exercise Physiology/Biomechanics
Trey Freeman - Old Dominion - Junior - 3.25 - Public Relations/Sports Management
Seth Gearhart - Rice - Senior - 3.32 - Economics (Business)
Marcus Jackson - Rice - Sophomore - 3.26 - Undeclared
Jeromie Hill - UTSA - Grad - 3.85 - MBA
Up next, Marshall will close out regular-season play at Charlotte on Saturday at 7 p.m. at Halton Arena. For all the latest information about Marshall men's basketball, follow @HerdMBB on Twitter.
---HerdZone.com---
