2022-23 Academic All-District Men’s Basketball Teams
SEWARD, Neb. – A trio of Bulldogs from the Concordia University Men’s Basketball program have been honored by College Sports Communicators (CSC). As announced by the organization on Tuesday (Feb. 21), Bradley Bennett, Gage Smith and Tristan Smith have been recognized as 2022-23 Academic All-District® Team award winners. Each of the honorees have earned this distinction for the first time in their careers.
The 2022-23 Academic All-District® Men’s Basketball Teams, selected by College Sports Communicators, recognize the nation’s top student-athletes for their combined performances on the field and in the classroom. Student-athletes must achieve a cumulative grade point average of 3.5 or higher in order to be nominated for this award. The CSC Academic All-America® program separately recognizes honorees in four divisions — NCAA Division I, NCAA Division II, NCAA Division III and NAIA — for each gender.
A sophomore from Elkhorn, Neb., Bennett has stepped into a major role this winter and has responded by averaging 10.8 points and 3.2 rebounds per game while making 55-of-113 (.414) attempts from 3-point range. He has started 17 of 28 games this season and netted a career high 25 points in a win at Waldorf University. Bennett is studying Biology at Concordia.
A fifth-year member of the program and a native of Elizabeth, Colo., Gage Smith has filled up the stat sheet in 2022-23. The two-time all-conference honoree is averaging 12.9 points, 8.8 rebounds, 4.1 assists, 1.7 steals and 1.1 blocks per game while shooting 46.9 percent from the floor. He’s started all 28 games. A three-time NAIA Scholar-Athlete with a near spotless undergraduate GPA, Smith earned his degree in Business Administration and is working towards his MBA. He owns all-time program rankings of second in rebounds (880), 14th in assists (269) and 18th in scoring (1,327).
A sophomore from Elizabeth, Colo., Tristan Smith showed he was on his way to stardom before suffering an injury just before New Year’s. While starting this season’s first 15 games, Tristan averaged 14.3 points, 6.3 rebounds, 1.8 assists and 1.0 block per game. He also shot 51.3 percent from the floor. Like his brother Gage, Tristan studies Business Administration.
Academic All-District® honorees advance to the CSC Academic All-America® ballot. First-, second- and third-team Academic All-America® honorees will be announced in mid-March.