Hedgepeth, Saunders Named Academic All-District
NASHVILLE, Tenn. - - For the second consecutive year, Belmont University men's basketball seniors Mick Hedgepeth (Crossville, Ala.) and Scott Saunders (New Orleans, La.) have been named to the Capital One Academic All-District First Team.
Hedgepeth, the reigning Atlantic Sun Tournament Most Valuable Player, has 53 double figure scoring games to his credit and is one of 11 Bruins of the NCAA era to score over 1,000 career points. The 6-9 forward was named 2011 NACDA Scholar-Athlete of the Year for men's basketball, and is one of 10 finalists for the 2012 Lowe's Senior CLASS Award. Hedgepeth sports a 3.71 grade-point average in his chosen major of accounting.
Saunders, who went on to receive Capital One Academic All-America honors last year, was a 2011 Second Team All-Atlantic Sun selection. Among the Atlantic Sun Conference's active leaders in career scoring, rebounding and free throw percentage, the 6-10 forward scored 23 points in consecutive games against Austin Peay and Marshall this season. Saunders holds a 3.84 GPA in his chosen majors of finance and marketing.
Hedgepeth and Saunders are the 14th and 15th Belmont men's basketball student-athletes to receive Capital One Academic All-District honors, and the first duo so recognized in back-to-back years.
Both Hedgepeth and Saunders advance to the national Capital One Academic All-America Team ballot, where First, Second and Third Team All-America honorees will be selected later this month.
Belmont men's basketball leads the nation in Capital One Academic All-Americans since joining the Atlantic Sun Conference in 2001-02 with nine.
Joining the two Bruins on the NCAA Division I District 3 First Team are JP Kuhlman of Davidson, Mason Plumlee of Duke and Tyler Zeller of North Carolina.
NCAA Division I District 3 consists of NCAA Division I participants from the states of North Carolina, Tennessee and Virginia.
Student-athletes are nominated and voted upon by members of the College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA).