Mitchell named to C-USA All-Academic Team

Monday, 10 March 2008
Sam Mitchell was one of five Conference USA basketball student-athletes named to the 2008 C-USA Men’s Basketball All-Academic Team. These student-athletes must have maintained a 3.2 cumulative grade point average or better and are a starter or key reserve.

Two repeat selections, seniors Paulius Packevicius of Rice and Jon Killen of SMU, were named to the all-academic team. Another senior Taylor Gagnon of East Carolina along with UAB junior Reggie Huffman joined Mitchell on the academic team.

Mitchell has played in all 28 games for the Golden Hurricane this season. He is a three-time member of the C-USA Commissioner’s Honor Roll and Tulsa’s Athletics Director’s Honor Roll. Mitchell, a finance major from Bartlesville, Okla., maintains a 3.4 GPA and is averaging 1.9 points and 1.9 rebounds in more than 11 minutes per game.

The 6-9 forward has played in 85 career games and has started 32 of those contests. He had a season-best nine points in 11 minutes last Saturday against Marshall, while adding a season-high seven rebounds against Presbyterian earlier this year.

All five student-athletes will lead their respective teams into the 2008 Conference USA Men’s Basketball Championship, March 12-15 at FedExForum in Memphis, Tenn.

University Profile:  Sam Mitchell

CAREER AT TULSA – A two-year letterwinner . . . has career averages of 3.6 points (214) and 2.6 rebounds (155) in 59 games . . . has 30 career starts.

2006-07 – Played in all 31 . . . started 11 contests . . . averaged 4.5 points and 3.1 rebounds in 16.5 minutes of playing time . . . led Tulsa in rebounding in four games . . . saw his first start this year against Eastern Michigan . . . had three double-digit scoring games . . . had seven points and two rebounds in 11 minutes vs. UCF (2-24-07) . . . had five points and six rebounds vs. Houston . . . had eight points and a career-best nine rebounds vs. Marshall . . . had a career-best 15 points and added three rebounds and three steals vs. UTEP . . . converted 11-of-12 free throws vs. UTEP, both career-highs, which increased his season free throw percentage from .645 to .721 . . . had seven rebounds, two points, two assists and two blocks vs. Texas-Pan American . . . scored 11 points twice, against Cal State Northridge and Southern Arkansas . . . the 11 points vs. CSUN was his first career double-figure scoring game . . . had seven points and four rebounds at North Texas . . . tallied six points and tied a career-best with eight rebounds vs. UALR . . . had five points and five rebounds in 16 minutes in the season opener.

2005-06 – Played in all 28 games and started 19 contests . . . averaged 15.0 minutes of playing time . . . averaged 15.8 minutes of playing time in the final 26 games, after playing a total of 10 minutes in the first two games . . . started 18 straight games before coming off of the bench in the home finale against Tulane . . . averaged 2.7 points and 2.1 rebounds . . . tallied five points, three rebounds and a season-high two blocks vs. Houston . . . had seven points vs. Rice . . . tied his season-best with eight points vs. Memphis . . . tallied season-bests of eight points and eight rebounds in 20 minutes vs. East Carolina . . . had five points and four rebounds in 14 minutes vs. Marshall . . . was 2-of-2 for four points in 17 minutes at UAB . . . received his first career start against Southern, and had twp points and five rebounds . . . had six points and four rebounds vs. Texas A&M-Corpus Christi . . . played 6 minutes and had two rebounds and blocked one shot in the season opener . . . named to the Conference USA Commissioner’s Honor Roll.

HIGH SCHOOL – Was a two-year letterwinner at Bartlesville High School . . . was a starter his senior season . . . helped lead his team to a 25-3 record and the Class 6A state runner-up finish . . . averaged 11.1 points and 6.2 rebounds while shooting 59-percent from the field as a senior . . . ranked seventh among all Oklahoma Class 6A players in field goal percentage . . . was second on the team in assists with a 2.1 average . . . had season-highs of 30 points and 12 rebounds, both coming against Wewoka, as a senior . . . was an honorable mention all-state selection as a senior . . . has been selected to play in the Faith Seven Game, featuring Oklahoma vs. Texas senior all-stars . . . was a third-team all-Frontier Conference selection his senior season . . . was named to the Class 6A state all-tournament second-team . . . high school coach was Tim Bart.

PERSONAL – Favorite NBA team is the Phoenix Suns . . . his favorite NBA player is Amare Stoudemire . . . among his favorite movies are Matrix and Gladiators . . . his favorite TV shows are "Psych" and "House" . . . the most memorable place he has visited is the Great Wall of China . . . pizza is his favorite food . . . his favorite childhood game was monopoly . . . his father played collegiate lacrosse at Colgate for three years . . . majoring in accounting . . . parents are Raymond and Susanna Mitchell.

Last Updated ( Monday, 10 March 2008 )