Velander Named to Academic All-District First Team

Lincoln- Nebraska senior guard Paul Velander was named to the 2008-09 CoSIDA/ESPN The Magazine Academic All-District 7 First Team in the University Division on Thursday. Velander was the only Big 12 player to earn the honor.

A native of Blacksburg, Va., Velander is a biological sciences major and has been named to the Big 12 Commissioner’s Honor Roll for six straight semesters and was a first-team academic All-Big 12 selection each of the past two seasons. He carries a 3.64 cumulative GPA and was named to the NABC Honors Court following his junior year.

Velander has reached double figures five times this season and is fourth on the team with 8.7 points per game. He ranked 12th nationally from 3-point range entering this week and has now hit 44.3 percent (51-of-115) to rank fourth in the Big 12. He has helped Nebraska to a 14-7 overall record including a 4-4 mark in Big 12 Conference play.

Velander’s name will now be placed on the national ballot that will determine this year’s CoSIDA Academic All-America squads. Nebraska leads all schools in the nation across all sports with 268 academic All-Americans. The Nebraska basketball program has had four players earn five academic All-America certificates.