OVERLAND PARK, Kan. – Loyola senior Ben Averkamp (Germantown, Wis./Germantown) has been named as one of 30 candidates for the Senior CLASS Award, given annually to the NCAA Division I senior with notable achievements in four areas of excellence – community, classroom, character and competition.
A 6-foot-8 forward, Averkamp was named a Preseason Second Team All-Horizon League pick, coming off a junior year in which he led the Ramblers with averages of 15.4 points and 7.1 rebounds, while also chipping in 2.6 assists and 0.9 blocks. The Germantown, Wis.-native was voted Second Team All-League after his junior season, becoming Loyola’s first all-league pick since 2006-07.
Averkamp heads into his senior campaign needing only 11 points and 27 rebounds to become the 19th player in Loyola history to rack up 1,000 points and 500 rebounds in his career.
During his junior year, Averkamp, who is majoring in biology, was named to the Capital One First Team Academic All-District V team, and he is a member of the Horizon League Academic Honor Roll. Averkamp is also a member of Loyola’s Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC), serving as the Horizon League’s SAAC president.
A biology major focusing on pre-med, Averkamp holds a 3.79 grade-point average at Loyola.
An acronym for Celebrating Loyalty and Achievement for Staying in School®, the Senior CLASS Award focuses on the total student-athlete and encourages students to use their platform in athletics to make a positive impact as leaders in their communities.
The men’s Senior CLASS Award winner will be announced during the 2013 NCAA Final Four® in Atlanta April 6 and 8, while the women’s winner will be announced during the NCAA Women’s Final Four® in New Orleans April 7 and 9.
The candidate classes will be narrowed to 10 men’s and 10 women’s finalists midway through the regular season, and those names will be placed on the official ballot. Ballots will be distributed through a nationwide voting system to media, coaches and fans, who will select one men’s finalist and one women’s finalist who best exemplifies excellence in the four Cs of community, classroom, character and competition.
For more information on the candidates, visit seniorCLASSaward.com.
Men's Basketball Candidates
God'sgift Achiuwa, St. John's (N.Y.)
O.D. Anosike, Siena
Ben Averkamp, Loyola (Chicago)
Brian Barbour, Columbia
Jared Berggren, Wisconsin
Isaiah Canaan, Murray State
Drew Crawford, Northwestern
Matthew Dellavedova, Saint Mary's
Tim Frazier, Penn State
Mike Groselle, The Citadel
C.J. Harris, Wake Forest
Jordan Hulls, Indiana
Gabe Knutson, Lehigh
JP Kuhlman, Davidson
Andrew Lawrence, Charleston
Jonathan Lee, Northeastern
Scott Martin, Notre Dame
C.J. McCollum, Lehigh
Brock Motum, Washington State
Mike Muscala, Bucknell
Robert Olson, Loyola (Maryland)
Brandon Paul, Illinois
Mason Plumlee, Duke
Colt Ryan, Evansville
Peyton Siva, Louisville
Andrew Smith, Butler
Michael Snaer, Florida State
Marc Trasolini, Santa Clara
Jeff Withey, Kansas
Nate Wolters, South Dakota State
