MIAC Release

COLLEGEVILLE, Minn. – Four Saint John's University basketball student-athletes received 2019-20 Winter and Spring Academic All-MIAC recognition on Tuesday, June 30.

Those honored (listed alphabetically) include:

-Sophomore guard Gavin Bates (Gaylord, Minn./Sibley East, an economics major with a 3.72 GPA;
-Senior post Ethan Novacinski (St. Joseph, Minn./St. Cloud Apollo), a biology major (pre-physician's assistant emphasis) with a 3.97 GPA;
-Senior post Kyle Sorenson (Caledonia, Minn.), an integrative science major (pre-physical therapy emphasis) with a 3.70 GPA;
-Senior post Lucas Walford (Elko, Minn./New Prague), a global business leadership major with a 3.63 GPA.

Student-athletes must be a sophomore, junior or senior academically with a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.50 on a 4.00 scale to qualify for Academic All-MIAC recognition. Transfers, like freshmen, must complete a full academic year to be eligible the following season. Athletically, basketball student-athletes must compete in 50 percent of their team's varsity, regular-season contests. 

The Academic All-MIAC honor is the second consecutive for Novacinski and Walford. 

SJU (27-2, 19-1 MIAC) tied the program record for single-season wins (1978-79), won its ninth MIAC regular-season title and seventh MIAC Playoff championship, and made its third consecutive NCAA Division III Tournament appearance in 2019-20. 

The Johnnies advanced to the third round (Sweet 16) of the NCAA Tournament, where they were scheduled to host No. 4 St. Thomas (March 14), but the season abruptly ended with the NCAA's cancellation of all winter and spring championships due to the COVID-19 pandemic. SJU ended the season ranked No. 2 nationally in the final D3hoops.com Top 25 poll.