Two student-athletes from the Marian University men’s basketball program have been named Academic All-District by the organization College Sports Communicators.
The CSC Academic All-American program recognizes the nation’s top student-athletes for their efforts both in competition and in the classroom. To be eligible, a student-athlete must compete in 90 percent of their team’s games, be a key starter or reserve on their team, and attain a cumulative grade-point average of at least 3.5. They must also hold at least sophomore standing at their institution.
Senior Derek Lindert (Pardeeville, Wis.) had a breakout season adding this award to an All-NACC Honorable Mention selection. He was one of the top three-point threats not only in the NACC but the entire nation leading the conference and ranking 17th in the nation with his 79 made three-pointers. Lindert also led the conference shooting 39.1 percent from beyond the arc. Lindert hit at least four triples in nine games including four performances with five or more. In just his fourth game as a Sabre, Lindert delivered one of the most prolific shooting performances in program history going 9-of-12 from beyond the arc, one shy of the NACC record, for 37 points in a win over Saint Mary’s (Minn.). In the following game, he hit four threes against Concordia Wisconsin. In the first game of the second half against Benedictine, he hit a game-winning jumper in the final second to secure a come-from-behind victory. Over the final month of the regular season, Lindert averaged 18.4 points per game, scoring 20 or more four times in the final seven games. In a win over Wisconsin Lutheran, he poured in 27 points on 6-of-12 shooting from three. In the Marian single-season record books his 79 made three-pointers rank fifth.
Senior Alex Vassilakis (Homer Glen, Ill.) earns CSC Academic All-District recognition for a second straight season to go with an All-NACC Second Team award. He led Marian in rebounding at 8.9 per game, ranking third in the conference. Vassilakis recorded 12 games with 10 or more rebounds and finished with nine double-doubles on the year, third in the NACC. Defensively, he grabbed 36 steals to put him 10th in the NACC. In an early-season match-up against Augsburg, he posted a career-high 15 rebounds to go along with 14 points. He followed that with a 24-point, 13-rebound performance in a win over Benedictine, shooting 4-of-6 from beyond the arc. During a four-game stretch from Jan. 31 to Feb. 11, Vassilakis averaged 19.5 points and 11.2 rebounds while knocking down nine three-pointers. The stretch concluded with a win over Wisconsin Lutheran where he scored a career-best 25 points on four three-pointers and added 11 rebounds. His 250 total rebounds rank fourth in the Marian single-season records.
This is the first time in program history that the Sabres have had multiple CSC Academic All-District selections.
The full release, along with more information on the CSC Academic All-American program, can be found at https://academicallamerica.com/index.aspx.
