Friday, April 08, 2011

CLEVELAND, Ohio - - Belmont University men's basketball junior Mick Hedgepeth (Crossville, Ala.) has been named the 2010-11 National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics (NACDA) Men's Basketball Scholar-Athlete of the Year.

Hedgepeth, who was named Capital One/CoSIDA First Team Academic All-District in February, led the Bruins to a 30-5 record and the program's fourth NCAA Tournament appearance in the last six years. The Crossville, Ala. native recorded 23 double figure scoring games in 2010-11, including a career-high 23 point performance in the Atlantic Sun Championship victory over North Florida.

The 6-9 forward ranked among Atlantic Sun Conference leaders in seven statistical categories and is just 145 points shy of 1,000 for his Bruin career.

Hedgepeth holds a 3.71 grade point average is his chosen major of accounting.

The marks the fifth time a Belmont men's basketball player has been named to the NACDA Scholar-Athlete Team, joining Justin Hare (2007, 2008), Adam Mark (2004) and Andy Wicke (2009). Hedgepeth was one of only 10 men's basketball student-athletes in the nation named to the team.

Basketball players from all Division I-AAA ADA member institutions are eligible for these prestigious awards. Each of the nominees was required to have a minimum grade point average of 3.20 (on a 4.00 scale) in undergraduate study and have been a starter or important reserve with legitimate athletics credentials.

He must have reached junior athletics and academic standing at the nominated institution (true freshmen, red-shirt freshmen and ineligible athletics transfers are not eligible) and have completed at least three academic semesters/five quarters at the nominated institution. Nominated student-athletes must have participated in at least 50 percent of the team's games listed on the nomination form.

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