March 14, 2006

West Texas A&M University men's basketball player Tyler Cooper was named the Lone Star Conference men's basketball Academic Player of the Year, announced by the conference office.

Cooper, a 6-4 sophomore forward from Amarillo, Texas (Amarillo HS), has a 4.0 GPA majoring in pre-medicine, was also named to the LSC All-Academic Team. Cooper, who also earned honorable mention All-LSC South accolades, leads the conference and would lead the nation, but doesn't reach the minimum, in 3-point FG percentage, as he is hit 47.1 percent (41-of-87) from behind the arc. For the season, Cooper was third on the team in both scoring and rebounding, posting 8.7 points and 4.6 rebounds.

Cooper was instrumental in WTAMU's late-season surge, as the Buffs won nine of their last 12 games, including winning the LSC Championship and advancing to the NCAA-II South Central Regional Tournament, where they were beaten by Northwest Missouri State University, 66-51, Saturday in the quarterfinals.

WTAMU ends its season with a 23-8 after making their first Regional appearance since 2002-03. The Buffs' LSC Championship was their conference-record sixth LSC crown.

Both the WTAMU men's and women's teams won the LSC Championship, marking the first time since WTAMU did it in 1991 that the same school won both conference championships.

To be eligible for LSC academic honors, student-athletes must have reached sophomore status and carry at least a 3.20 grade point average. The All-Academic Team is selected from the list of academically qualified players, with the league's sports information directors voting on the basis of both academic and athletic achievement. All qualifying student-athletes not selected for the All-Academic Team are then named to the Honor Roll.

-WT-