BETHLEHEM, Pa. – Colgate senior guard Tucker Richardson was named the 2022-23 Patriot League Men’s Basketball 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.
Richardson, a sociology major with a cumulative GPA of 3.43, was the Patriot League Men’s Basketball Player and Defensive Player of the Year when it was announced on Monday. The Flemington, N.J. native also becomes the 10th men’s basketball student-athlete in League history to earn Academic All-Patriot League for the third time.
American junior forward Johnny O’Neil (business admin./marketing, 3.67 GPA), Boston University graduate student guard Jonas Harper (global marketing management, 3.76 GPA), Lafayette sophomore guard CJ Fulton (international affairs, 3.93 GPA) and Lehigh junior forward Dominic Parolin (mathematics, 3.80 GPA) all made the Academic All-Patriot League squad for the first time.
2022-23 Patriot League Men’s Basketball Scholar-Athlete of the Year
Tucker Richardson, Colgate, Sr., G, Flemington, N.J./Hunterdon Central
*Richardson is the 10th Patriot League men’s basketball student-athlete to earn Academic All-League honors three times and the first to collect Player, Defensive Player, Rookie and Scholar-Athlete of the Year.
*The Flemington, N.J. native graduated with his BA in sociology in December, finishing with a 3.43 GPA.
*He has been active in the community serving as a member of Colgate’s sidekick program, mentoring local children to give an inside look at what it means to be a student-athlete at Colgate.
*This season, Richardson led the Patriot League in assists (5.2) and steals (2.1), while becoming the first player in League history to eclipse 1,600 points, 700 rebounds and 500 assists.
2022-23 Academic All-Patriot League Team
O’Neil, a Patriot League Defensive Team selection, earned academic All-League honors for the first time. The two-time Patriot League Academic Honor Roll selection also led the League with 1.6 blocked shots per game.
Harper, a three-time defensive team selection and three-time Patriot League Academic Honor Roll selection, earned the 2022 Scarlet Key Award, one of Boston University’s highest academic honors. He has been active on campus, previously serving as the Director of Operations for Boston University’s Student-Athletes of Color organization. The Stamford, Conn. native previously graduated with his BA in sociology with a 3.27 cumulative GPA.
Fulton, a Third Team All-Patriot League selection, earned 2022-23 College Sports Communicators (CSC) Academic All-District honors. The co-captain also led the Patriot League in assist-to-turnover ratio (2.8) and finished second in assists (5.1 apg).
Parolin received CSC Academic All-District honors and is a two-time Patriot League Academic Honor Roll selection. The Coquitlam, British Columbia native was named Lehigh’s Scholar-Athlete of the Year in 2021-22.
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.
2022-23 Patriot League Men’s Basketball Scholar-Athlete of the Year: Tucker Richardson, Colgate, Sr., G
2022-23 Patriot League Men’s Basketball Academic All-League Team
Johnny O’Neil, American, Jr., F
Jonas Harper, Boston University, Gr., G
Tucker Richardson, Colgate, Sr., G
CJ Fulton, Lafayette, So., G
Dominic Parolin, Lehigh, Jr., F
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.