EVANSVILLE, Ind. - Florida Southern senior Tyler Logan has been named the recipient of the NCAA Elite 89 Award for men's basketball this year in recognition for his outstanding academic achievements throughout his two-year career with the Moccasins.
The Elite 89 Award is given to the student-athlete with the highest cumulative grade point average who is competing at the finals site of each of the 89 NCAA National Championship events.
Logan received his award at Monday's NCAA Division II Elite Eight Opening Ceremony Banquet at the Ford Center, site of this year's NCAA Division II Men's Basketball Championships.
"I wasn't expecting to win the award. I didn't know there was even an award of this magnitude," Logan said following Monday's banquet. I'm glad the NCAA recognizes student-athletes that get it done both on the court and in the classroom."
Logan, who carries a 3.91 cumulative grade point average in human movement and performance, says it's not easy balancing both class and athletics, but winning this award made all that work worth it.
"It has not been easy to balance everything. A lot of late nights of studying, but I've been able to manage my time wisely."
Established in 2009-10, the award was created to recognize the true essence of the student-athlete by honoring the individual who has reached the pinnacle of competition at the national championship level in his or her sport, while also achieving the highest academic standard among his or her peers. Eligible student-athletes are sophomores or above who have participated in their sport for at least two years with their current school. They must be an active member of the team, traveling, and a designated member of the squad size at the championship. All ties are broken by the number of credits completed.
"What an unbeliveable honor for Tyler to receive this award from all the athletes that are here (in Evansville) is a tremendous accomplishment for him and something he'll remember the rest of his life," Moccasin head coach Linc Darner said. "I've never had a player get this award before, which is just a great honor for him and well deserved. He has done unbelievable in the classroom and is being rewarded for it. I think is just great for Florida Southern and for the men's basketball program to have an athlete get this award."
A native of Landover, Md., Logan has played in and started all 34 games this season for the top-ranked Moccasins that come into Wednesday's Elite Eight match-up with Southern New Hampshire sporting having won a school record 33 games and a school record 22 consecutive games. On the season, Logan is averaging 6.2 points and 3.1 rebounds per game and is shooting 43 percent from the field and 38 percent from the 3-point line and has scored in double figures in six games. In his first season as a Moc in 2013-14 after transfering from Price George's Community College, Logan was named a Division II ADA Academic Achievement Award winner, the Sunshine State Conference Commissioner's Honor Roll and was named to the NABC Honors Court.
In the six years since the award was instituted, Logan is the fourth Florida Southern student-athlete to receive an Elite 89 Award as men's swimmer Robbie Swan as honored in 2013, while Anna McInytre was the winner in 2012 for women's swimming and Marianne Andersson was honored in 2011 for women's golf.