MANHATTAN, Kan. – Three Kansas State men’s basketball players were selected to Academic All-Big 12 Team on Thursday, including two on the First Team, as the league office announced its 34-member all-academic teams.
Senior Pierson McAtee and junior Cartier Diarra were named to the league’s 22-member first team, which consists of those student-athletes who have maintained a 3.20 or better GPA. Junior Mike McGuirl was selected to the 12-member second team, which honors those with a GPA of 3.0 to 3.19.
Both McAtee and McGuirl repeated their academic accolades from a year ago, while Diarra received the honor for the first time in his career. McAtee was a first team selection for the third time, while McGuirl is a two-time honoree to the team after earning first team accolades in 2018-19. McGuirl (2018) was also named to the Academic All-Big 12 Rookie Team as true freshmen.
In head coach Bruce Weber’s tenure at K-State, he has now seen 16 student-athletes earn Academic All-Big 12 honors a total of 23 times. The individual honors continue another solid academic year for the Wildcats, as all three selections were among nine players named to the Fall 2019 Big 12 Commissioner’s Honor Roll.
Nominated by each institution’s director of student-athlete support services and the media relations offices, the academic all-league men’s basketball team consisted of 19 first team members combined with 13 on the second team. First team members consist of those who have maintained a 3.20 or better GPA, and the second team are those who have a 3.00 to 3.19 GPA.
To qualify student-athletes must maintain a 3.00 GPA or higher either cumulative or the two previous semesters and must have participated in 60 percent of his team’s scheduled contests. Freshmen and transfers are not eligible in their first year of academic residence. Senior student-athletes who have participated for a minimum of two years and meet all the criteria except percent of participation are also eligible.