Tuesday, February 23, 2021

PORTLAND, Ore. – Seattle Pacific’s Sharif Khan and Alaska’s Alex Sommerfield are at the top of the class of 26 selections to the 2020-21 Great Northwest Athletic Conference Men’s Basketball All-Academic Team, presented by Barnes & Noble College.

The two are among three players on the team with a perfect 4.00 GPA and among nine student-athletes with a 3.80 cumulative GPA or better.

Khan, a senior guard from Bellevue, Washington, is enrolled in Seattle Pacific’s Master of Data Analytics program. Moving into a starting role this season, Khan is averaging 8.7 points per game in 10 games and is shooting 45.9 percent from the field and 87.5 percent from the free throw line.

Sommerfield, a forward from Federal Way, Washington, is a digital journalism major. Sommerfield played in all 30 games for the Nanooks in 2019-20 and started 10, averaging 7.1 points and 3.2 rebounds per game. Alaska has not played in 2020-21 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Joining Khan and Sommerfield with a 4.00 GPA is Montana State Billings sophomore forward Sam Elliott, who has a 4.00 as a finance major.

Khan is one of seven repeat selections to the All-Academic Team and one of three three-time selections. The other three-time selections are Northwest Nazarene senior Sam Roth and Seattle Pacific senior Harry Cavell.

To qualify for the GNAC All-Academic Teams, presented by Barnes & Noble College, nominees must be of sophomore eligibility or greater, have a minimum cumulative GPA or 3.20 or greater, be a letterwinner on their team and must be in their second year at the nominating institution.

Central Washington led all programs with six All-Academic Team selections. Alaska Anchorage finished with five selections.