Wednesday, February 16, 2022

PORTLAND, Ore. – A pair of contributors to the Seattle Pacific men’s basketball team become historic four-time honorees to lead 45 students that earned selection to the GNAC Men’s Basketball All-Academic Team, presented by Barnes and Noble College.

Guard Harry Cavell is one of the Falcons’ honorees, cementing his legacy as a two-way athletic and academic star. Cavell, the 2020 GNAC Co-Defensive Player of the Year, has a 3.78 GPA as he pursues his master’s in data analytics. Cavell is having another strong season in 2021-22, averaging 12.8 points and 5.7 rebounds per game and shooting 40 percent from both the field and from three-point range.

Fellow SPU guard Sharif Khan was also selected for the fourth time. The Bellevue, Washington native is also pursuing a master’s in data analytics and boasts a 3.81 GPA. On the court, Khan has appeared in all 22 games for the Falcons, starting nine, and is averaging 5.1 points per game while shooting 88 percent from the free-throw line.

There are also two three-time honorees on this year’s team. Western Washington senior guard RJ Secrest was selected again after maintaining a 3.50 GPA as a business finance and marketing major. Secrest is averaging 8.3 points per game for the Vikings and is the only player to start every game for WWU this season. Central Washington’s Matt Poquette, who has a 3.44 GPA as a sport management major, also earned a third selection. The junior forward is averaging 12.2 points and 5.5 rebounds per game for the Wildcats.

Poquette is one of nine Central Washington players on the All-Academic Team, the most of any school. Alaska Anchorage has seven representatives, while Seattle Pacific and Northwest Nazarene each had six student-athletes selected.

The two four-time and two three-time honorees were joined by 17 two-time honorees, meaning just under half of the 45 student-athletes honored were repeat selections.

Seattle Pacific reserve guard Chris Penner is the lone men’s basketball player with a perfect 4.0 GPA, doing so as a sophomore biochemistry major. Just behind are Montana State Billings forward Sam Elliott, who has a 3.98 GPA as a senior finance major, and Northwest Nazarene’s leading scorer George Reidy, who has a 3.88 GPA as a recreation sport management major while averaging 14.2 points per game as a sophomore guard for the Nighthawks.

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. 

Thanks to eligibility waivers provided by the NCAA due to the cancellation of the 2020 season, players who continue to hold freshman eligibility but are in their second season of competition at the nominating institution were eligible for selection to the GNAC All-Academic Team.