April 28, 2008

FRISCO, Tex. - Senior guard/forward Adonis Gray was named to the All-SLC Academic First Team, announced the conference office on Monday afternoon.

Gray finished his four year career at Nicholls as the 15th leading scorer in Colonel history with 1,221 points while also pulling down 433 career rebounds. The Thibodaux, La. native closed out his stint with Nicholls averaging 10.6 points and 3.8 rebounds per game. His career high of 33 points in a game came against nationally ranked Washington in the 2006-07 season.

To go along with all of his success on the court, Gray also boasted a cumulative 3.10 GPA in general studies.

The release from the Southland Conference office is below.

For Immediate Release

April 28, 2008

2007-08 Capital One All-Academic Men's Basketball Teams Announced

FRISCO, Texas - Sam Houston State's Ryan Bright has been selected the 2008 Capital One Southland Conference Men's Basketball Student Athlete of the Year, as he wins the honor for the second-straight year. The student-athlete of the year is annually presented to the individual in each conference sport who achieves excellence in academics and athletics. Nominees shall have earned at least a 3.2 cumulative grade point average to go along with superior athletics achievement.

Bright, a senior Kinesiology major, was named 2008 ESPN The Magazine Academic All-America and All-District after posting a 3.64 grade point average. He was a three-time All-Southland Conference Academic selection is a Dean's List student. He is an officer on the Sam Houston State Student Athlete Advisory Committee and has also been a Bearkat mentor, reading to Huntsville elementary school children.

The Deer Park, Texas native was named a Mid-Major All-American by collegeinsider.com and was also named All-Region after helping the Bearkats to three 20-plus win seasons and 84-39 record in his four-year career. He earned first-team All-Southland Conference honors for the second-straight year and led the league in rebounds at 10.7 per game. He scored in double figures 20 times during the 2007-08 season and 74 times in his career. Bright, a five-time SLC Player of the Week honoree in his career, also ranked in the top-10 six other SLC statistical categories, including minutes played (sixth), assists (sixth) and steals (seventh).

He completed his college career ranked as Sam Houston State's No. 3 all-time leading rebounder with 930 and No. 7 all-time leading scorer with 1,393.

Joining Bright on the first-team is teammate Shamir McDaniel, who posted a 3.24 GPA in marketing and was named ESPN The Magazine Academic All-District.

Rounding out the first team is Southeastern Louisiana's Kevyn Green, Nicholls State's Adonis Gray and Northwestern State's Michael McConathy. Green posted a 3.20 GPA in general studies, while Gray posted a 3.10 GPA in general studies.

On the second-team are two players from UT Arlington, Anthony Vereen, the 2008 SLC Tournament MVP and Tommy Moffitt. Vereen posted a 3.01 GPA in exercise and sports studies, while Moffitt had a 3.41 in criminology and criminal justice.

Rounding out the second-team is Lamar's Darren Hopkins, Stephen F. Austin's Scott Weaver and Sam Houston State's Barkley Faulkner. Hopkins registered a 3.02 GPA in general studies, Weaver finished with a 3.39 GPA in kinesiology and Faulkner posted the highest GPA on the team with a 3.93 in accounting.

2007-08 CAPITAL ONE ACADEMIC ALL-SOUTHLAND CONFERENCE MEN'S BASKETBALL FIRST TEAM

Student-Athlete - School - Class - Hometown - GPA - Major

Ryan Bright - Sam Houston State - Sr. - Deer Park, Texas - 3.64 - Kinesiology

Shamir McDaniel - Sam Houston State - Sr. - Houston, Texas - 3.24 - Marketing

Kevyn Green - Southeastern La. - Sr. - Portland, Oregon - 3.20 - General Studies

Adonis Gray - Nicholls State - Sr. - Thibodaux, La. - 3.10 - General Studies

Michael McConathy - Northwestern State - So. - Natchitoches, La. - 3.56 - Electronics Engineering

2007-08 CAPITAL ONE ACADEMIC ALL-SOUTHLAND CONFERENCE MEN'S BASKETBALL SECOND TEAM

Student-Athlete - School - Class - Hometown - GPA - Major

Darren Hopkins - Lamar - Sr. - Baltimore, Md. - 3.02 - General Studies

Anthony Vereen - UT Arlington - Jr. - Houston, Texas - 3.01 - Exercise and Sports Studies

Tommy Moffitt - UT Arlington - So. - Irving, Texas - 3.41 - Criminology and Criminal Justice

Scott Weaver - Stephen F. Austin - Sr. - Carrollton, Texas - 3.39 - Kinesiology

Barkley Faulkner - Sam Houston State - Jr. - Oxford, Miss. - 3.93 - Accounting

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