Bulldogs Lead SEC With Five Men's Basketball Academic Honorees
In becoming the first Bulldog player since Bart Hyche (1997-99) to earnSEC Academic Honor Roll recognition for three straight years, junior centerWesley Morgan leads this year's Bulldog quintet with a third consecutive league academic honor. The Gallatin, Tenn., native is on target to earn hisbachelor's degree in sports communication this May. Last year's SECScholar-Athlete of the Year, senior swingman Shane Power has made theleague's honor roll for a second straight year after transferring from IowaState University. Having completed his undergraduate degree in sportscommunication last summer, the Crown Point, Ind., native is currentlypursuing his master's in sports administration.
Sophomore swingman Michael Boler, a former redshirt majoring inbiological sciences, has also made the SEC Winter Academic Honor Roll forthe second consecutive season, while fellow second-year players PiotrStelmach and Billy Begley have both earned the honor for the first timeafter making the 2003-04 SEC Freshman Academic Honor Roll as collegiaterookies. Stelmach and Begley are majoring in physical education andbusiness management, respectively.
As a team, Mississippi State's five academic honorees this year topleague members Georgia, Kentucky, LSU and Vanderbilt, which all placed fourstudent-athletes on the 2004-05 SEC Winter Academic Honor Roll. With fivehonorees each of the last three years, MSU's collective total of 15 academicrecipients since 2002-03 leads second-place Georgia's 13 selections. Datingback to seventh-year head coach Rick Stansbury's first season at theMississippi State helm, the Bulldogs' composite total of 22 academic leaguehonorees since 1998-99 ranks tied for second with Florida - one behind LSU's23 combined total.
A total of 318 student-athletes were named to the 2004-05 SEC WinterAcademic Honor Roll, which includes the sports of men's and women'sbasketball, men's and women's swimming and diving, women's gymnastics, men'sand women's rifle, and women's bowling.