Forth Named Academic All-America
3/4/2004 2:25:25 PM | Men's Basketball
STAMFORD, Conn. -- Junior center Craig Forth was named third team Academic All-America by CoSIDA (College Sports Information Directors of America) and became the fourth Syracuse University men's basketball performer to earn the recognition.
Forth was one of 15 student-athletes named first, second and third team Academic All-America in the University Division. Connecticut's Emeka Okafor, a first-team honoree, was also named Academic All-America Team Member of the Year for the University Division.
Forth earned his spot on the national ballot by earning a spot on the District I All-Academic Team. An inclusive education and geography major, Forth brought a 3.855 grade-point-average into the Spring 2004 semester.
He has started all 97 games of his collegiate career at Syracuse. Forth is averaging 5.5 points, 5.5 rebounds and 2.2 blocks-per-game with the Orangemen this winter. He ranks eighth on the school's career blocked shot list.
Forth has been named to the SU Athleic Director's Academic Honor Roll in each of his five semesters at the University. He was named to the 2003 District I All-Academic Team by CoSIDA. He's also earned BIG EAST Conference Academic All-Star recognition for the past two years.
The last Syracuse men's basketball performer to earn Academic All-American laurels was Danny Schayes, a first-team selection in 1981. Rick Dean was a second-team honoree in 1967 and Bill Smith was a second-team pick in 1971.
The Academic All-America Teams program honors 816 male and female student-atheltes annually who have succeeded at the highest level on the playing field and in the classroom. Individuals are selected through voting by CoSIDA, a 2,000-member organization consisting of sports public relations professionals for colleges and universities in the United States and Canada.
To be eligible, a student-athlete must be a varsity starter or key reserve, maintain a cumulative grade-point-average of 3.2 on a scale of 4.0, have reached sophomore athletics and academic tanding at his/her current institution, and be nominated by the sports information director. Since the program's inception in 1952, CoSIDA has bestowed Academic All-America honors on more than 14,000 student-athletes in Division I, II, III and NAIA covering all NCAA championship sports.
2004 Academic All-America Men's Basketball Team (University Division)
First Team
- Adam Hess, William & Mary
- Chris Hill, Michigan State
- Michael Kuebler, Hawaii
- Adam Mark, Belmont
- Emeka Okafor, Connecticut
Second Team
- Clint Cuffle, Evansville
- Jason Parker, Tulsa
- Brett Starkey, Denver
- Blake Stepp, Gonzaga
- Derek Winans, Southeast Missouri State
Third Team
- Adam Baumann, Youngstown State
- Brody Deren, Creighton
- Craig Forth, Syracuse
- Johannes Herber, West Virginia
- Michael Lindeman, Creighton
