BOSTON, Mass. – College Sports Communicators (formerly known as College Sports Information Directors of America) recently released its 2023 Academic All-District® Men's Basketball Teams. These teams recognize the nation's top student-athletes for their combined performances on the field and in the classroom.
Wentworth Institute of Technology had five men's basketball student-athletes earn this honor in sophomore Jack Connell (Walpole, Mass.), sophomore Niko Rosich (Chicago, Ill.), senior Jack Schaake (Hampton, N.H.), senior Thomas Hacker (Averill Park, N.Y.), and sophomore Nathaniel Smith (Beacon Falls, Conn.). These four bring the total number of Academic All-District selections for Wentworth since 1995 to 42.
Connell, a Computer Science major, has had a breakout sophomore season for Wentworth, leading the team in scoring at 17.2 points per game, which includes a team-leading 67 three pointers, to go along with 3.6 rebounds and 4.0 assists per game. On 10 occasions this season, he scored 20 or more points, including dropping a career-high 33 in a win at Suffolk on Jan. 28. He also posted career highs of nine rebounds and eight assists in a win over Curry on Feb. 18.
Rosich, an Electromechanical Engineering major, set career highs in points, rebounds, assists, and steals this season, while starting 10 of the 18 games in which he has played. Among his career highs was a seven-rebound performance against Curry on Nov. 30.
The program's all-time leader in field goal percentage (.611), Schaake has had career-best outputs in his senior season, averaging 10.0 points, 7.5 rebounds, and 2.0 assists per game while shooting a program-record .653 from the floor. A Mechanical Engineering major, Schaake established new single-game highs in points (18), rebounds (13, and assists (4), while recording a pair of double-doubles.
Hacker has appeared in all 26 of Wentworth's game this season, earning one start. His 3.9 rebounds per game rank him third among his teammates and the Interdisciplinary Engineering major established career bests in assists and steals in games against Plymouth State and Wartburg, respectively.
A Mechanical Engineering major, Smith has started 15 of the 25 games in which he has played this season and has set career bests in points, rebounds, assists, and steals. Among Smith's career highs were eight rebounds against Worcester State on Dec. 16.
Sitting at 17-9, Wentworth, the No. 4 seed in the Commonwealth Coast Conference Tournament, travels to No. 1 seed Nichols for a CCC Semifinal tonight (Feb. 23) at 7:00 p.m.
The CSC Academic All-America® program separately recognizes men's basketball honorees in four divisions — NCAA Division I, NCAA Division II, NCAA Division III and NAIA. Academic All-District® honorees advance to the CSC Academic All-America® ballot. First-, second- and third-team Academic All-America® honorees will be announced in mid-March. In order to be eligible for Academic All-District honors, a student-athlete must be at least a sophomore academically, have a minimum of a 3.50 cumulative grade point average, and be a starter or a significant reserve on their team.
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February 28, 2023
Schaake, Connell, Stewart Earn CCC Honors
February 23, 2023
Men's Basketball Student-Athletes Earn Academic All-District Honors
February 23, 2023
Nichols Halts Men's Basketball's Postseason Run
February 21, 2023
Balanced Attack Pushes Men's Basketball into CCC Semifinals
February 18, 2023
Men's Basketball Topples Curry; Locks up Home CCC Quarterfinal Game
February 15, 2023
Men's Basketball Cruises Past Gordon in Regular Season Home Finale
February 14, 2023
Rubenskas, Worthley Named Leopards of the Week
February 11, 2023
Men's Basketball Shoots High over Roger Williams on Senior Day
February 7, 2023
Nichols Halts Men's Basketball's Win Streak
February 4, 2023
Men's Basketball Powers Past Endicott; Runs Win Streak to Five
February 1, 2023
Men's Basketball Defeats UNE for Season-High Fourth Straight Win
January 31, 2023
Schaake, Sullivan Named Leopards of the Week
January 28, 2023
Connell, Hot Shooting Men's Basketball Cruises Past Suffolk
January 24, 2023
Men's Basketball Hands Western New England First CCC Loss
January 21, 2023
Men's Basketball Rolls to Road Win over Salve Regina
January 18, 2023
Strong Second Half Lifts Roger Williams Past Men's Basketball
January 15, 2023
Balanced Attack Paces Men's Basketball Past New England College
January 14, 2023
Nichols Defeats Men's Basketball
January 10, 2023
Hot Shooting Second Half Lifts Men's Basketball Past UNE
January 7, 2023
Endicott Outlasts Men's Basketball in Overtime Battle
January 5, 2023
Stewart Powers Men's Basketball to Road Win at Gordon
January 3, 2023
Late Run Lifts Suffolk Past Men's Basketball
December 21, 2022
Men's Basketball Runs Win Streak to Three; Finishes Cruzin' Classic 2-0
December 20, 2022
Men's Basketball Cruises Past Messiah
December 19, 2022
Dolabany, Busbey Named Leopards of the Week
December 16, 2022
Men's Basketball's Offense Ignites Against Worcester State
December 6, 2022
Men's Basketball Falls to Western New England
December 3, 2022
Salve Regina Pulls Away from Men's Basketball
November 30, 2022
Men's Basketball Opens CCC Play with Win over Curry
November 21, 2022
Connell, Oliver Named Leopards of the Week
November 19, 2022
Men's Basketball Falls Short of Victory to Plymouth State
November 16, 2022
Men's Basketball Fends off Wheaton in Home Opener
November 14, 2022
Stewart, Foster Named Leopards of the Week
November 12, 2022
Stewart has Career Night in Men's Basketball's Season Opener
September 16, 2022
Men's Basketball to Host Elite Prospect Clinic on October 15