Four Big 12 men's basketball players are among 30 NCAA men's basketball student-athletes who excel both on and off the court have been selected as candidates for the 2015-16 Senior CLASS Award. Iowa State's Georges Niang, Perry Ellis of Kansas, Oklahoma's Buddy Hield and Phil Forte of Oklahoma State were among the group.
To be eligible for the award, a student-athlete must be classified as an NCAA Division I senior and have notable achievements in four areas of excellence: community, classroom, character and competition.
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.
Among the 30 men's candidates, all are in excellent academic standing with 10 having grade-point averages of 3.5 or higher. Each of the candidates also volunteers his or her time with charitable organizations and causes while upholding a reputation for positive character on campus and in the community.
The Senior CLASS Award winners will be announced during the 2016 NCAA Men’s Final Four.
Each of the 30 candidate classes will be narrowed to 10 finalists in February, and those 10 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 male candidate and one female candidate who best exemplify excellence in the four Cs of community, classroom, character and competition.
For more information on each of the candidates, visit seniorCLASSaward.com.
BIG 12 - SENIOR CLASS AWARD MEN’S BASKETBALL CANDIDATES
Georges Niang, Iowa State
Perry Ellis, Kansas
Buddy Hield, Oklahoma
Phil Forte, Oklahoma State
ABOUT THE AWARD
An acronym for Celebrating Loyalty and Achievement for Staying in School, the Senior CLASS Award honors the attributes of senior student-athletes in four areas: community, classroom, character and competition. The award program is designed exclusively for college seniors who are utilizing their complete athletic eligibility, remaining committed to their university and pursuing the many rewards a senior season can bring. Premier Sports Management manages the award.