BETHLEHEM, Pa. – Bucknell senior guard Andrew Funk was named 2021-22 Patriot League Men’s Scholar-Athlete of the Year in addition to earning a spot on the five-member Academic All-Patriot League Team when the League office announced honors on Wednesday.
Funk, an accounting and financial management major with a 3.66 cumulative GPA, was a Patriot League Second-Team All-League honoree after finishing second-leading scorer (17.7 ppg) this season. He is the ninth men’s basketball student-athlete in League history to make the academic All-League team three times. Colgate senior guard Tucker Richardson (sociology, 3.41 GPA) was named to the Academic All-Patriot League Team for the second time.
Lehigh junior Evan Taylor (sociology, 3.50 GPA) is a first-time academic squad selection with Loyola Maryland senior guard Jaylin Andrews (business marketing, 3.44 GPA) and junior guard Cam Spencer (finance, 3.44 GPA).
2021-22 Patriot League Men’s Basketball Scholar-Athlete of the Year
Andrew Funk, Bucknell, Sr., G, Warrington, Pa./Archbishop Wood
*Funk is the ninth Patriot League men’s basketball student-athlete to earn Academic All-League honors three times.
*The Warrington, Pa. native is a Dean’s List student in Bucknell’s Freeman College of Management, carrying a 3.66 GPA as an accounting and financial management major.
*The Second Team All-Patriot League guard finished second in the League in scoring (17.7), 3-point field goals made per game (2.7) and minutes played (36.3) in addition to earning League player of the week honors three times.
*Funk received 2022 CoSIDA Academic All-District honors.
2021-22 Academic All-Patriot League Team
Richardson, All-Patriot League First Team selection, made his second Academic All-League squad after becoming the fourth men’s basketball student-athlete in League history to eclipse 1,000 points, 500 rebounds and 400 assists through his career. Richardson is also the co-producer of the ShotQuality Podcast, in addition to his role in helping create the Shot Quality software program that analyzes in-game basketball statistics, currently in use by more than 50 NCAA DI basketball programs.
Taylor was selected to his first academic All-League team after earning Third Team All-Patriot League accolades earlier this week. The Dean’s List student has also earned a spot on the Patriot League Academic Honor Roll two times. He led the Mountain Hawks in scoring with 13.1 points per game and connected on 45.2 percent of his 3-point field goal attempts in League play.
Andrews earned a spot on the academic All-League squad after finishing ninth in the Patriot League in scoring (13.8) and third in steals (1.5). Andrews is a Dean’s List student at Loyola Maryland, who has been active in the community, serving in the exclusive Green and Grey Society, as one of 14 seniors to serve as a campus liaison to the University President’s Office. He has also been active in his campus’s Diversity Advisory Board and the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC).
Spencer was named to the Academic All-Patriot League Team for the first time after being a first-team All-League selection. He led the Patriot League in scoring (18.6) and steals (2.3). He is on the Dean’s List at Loyola Maryland and is a two-time Patriot League Academic Honor Roll selection. Spencer was a nominee for the Lou Henson Award, given to the top mid-major player in NCAA DI.
To be eligible for the Scholar-Athlete of the Year award and the Academic All-Patriot League Team, a student-athlete must have at least a 3.20 cumulative grade point average (GPA) and be a starter or key player in their sport. Freshmen or students in their first academic year at their school are not eligible for the honor.
The Patriot League Scholar-Athlete of the Year winner for each sport comprises the pool of nominees for the Patriot League Male and Female Scholar-Athlete of the Year awards given out during the summer. One male and one female are selected for the honors.
2021-22 Patriot League Men’s Basketball Scholar-Athlete of the Year: Andrew Funk, Bucknell, Sr., G
2020-21 Patriot League Men’s Basketball Academic All-League Team*
Andrew Funk, Bucknell, Sr., G
Tucker Richardson, Colgate, Sr., G
Evan Taylor, Lehigh, Jr., G
Jaylin Andrews, Loyola Maryland, Sr., G
Cam Spencer, Loyola Maryland, Jr., G
ABOUT THE PATRIOT LEAGUE
The Patriot League is in its fourth decade of academic and athletic achievement, continually demonstrating that student-athlete can excel at both academics and athletics without sacrificing high standards. The Patriot League’s athletic success is achieved while its member institutions remain committed to its founding principle of admitting and graduating student-athletes that are academically representative of their class. Participation in athletics at Patriot League institutions is viewed as an important component of a well-rounded education.