IRVING, Texas -The Iowa State men’s basketball team produced a league-high four players on the 2012 Academic All-Big 12 team, the conference office announced today.
Scott Christopherson, Melvin Ejim and Bubu Palo were named Academic All-Big 12 First Team. Chris Allen was a second-team selection.
First team members consist of those who have maintained a 3.20 or better GPA, and the second team are those who have a 3.00-3.19 GPA. Student-athletes must maintain a 3.00 GPA or higher either cumulative or the two previous semesters and must have participated in 60 percent of their team’s scheduled contests to qualify.
Iowa State head coach Fred Hoiberg, an Academic All-American and three-time Academic All-Big Eight pick during his Iowa State playing career, is extremely proud of his team’s efforts in the classroom.
“Academics has always been and always will be an important part of our program,” Hoiberg said. “The guys have been working hard in the classroom and it’s great to see the Cyclones so well-represented on the Academic All-Big 12 teams. We have set GPA records in our last three semesters and we want to continue that success academically.”
Christopherson, a senior from LaCrosse, Wis., is Iowa State’s career leader in 3-point field goal percentage (43.5 pct.) and currently ranks fifth nationally in free-throw percentage at 90.8 percent. A native of Toronto, Ontario, Ejim has started 21 games, averaging 8.9 points and ranking second on the team in rebounding at 6.4 rpg.
Palo, who hails from Ames, Iowa, is averaging 2.0 assists per game for the Cyclones. He recorded a career-high 14 points vs. Iowa and has two games with six or more dimes on the season. Allen, a native of Lawrenceville, Ga., is averaging 12.3 points and leads the team with 59 3-pointers.
Palo was a second team pick last season.
It marks the second time in school history where the Cyclones had three players on the Academic All-Big 12 First Team (1997- Ha-Keem Abdel-Khaliq, Klay Edwards, Jason Teeter).
