Bucknell University Athletics
Bucknell's Mike Muscala One of 10 Finalists for Senior CLASS Award
2/6/2013 7:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
Feb. 6, 2013
LEWISBURG, Pa. –Bucknell center Mike Muscala (Roseville, Minn./Roseville) has been selected as one of 10 national finalists for the 2012-13 Senior CLASS Award for men's basketball. The award recognizes seniors who have notable achievements in four areas of excellence: community, classroom, character and competition. Nationwide fan voting is now underway to help select the winner.
Fans are encouraged to vote on the Senior CLASS Award website or on the Senior CLASS Award Facebook fan page through March 25. Fans may vote once per day. Fan votes will be combined with media and Division I head coaches' votes to determine the winner. The men's Senior CLASS Award winner will be announced during the 2013 NCAA Final Four® in Atlanta April 6 and 8.
An acronym for Celebrating Loyalty and Achievement for Staying in School,® the Senior CLASS Award focuses on the total student-athlete and encourages students to use their platform in athletics to make a positive impact as leaders in their communities.
Muscala certainly fits the bill. In the midst of an outstanding senior year on the court, Muscala also made the Dean's List with a 3.58 grade-point average in management in the 2012 fall semester. He made the five-man Capital One Academic All-District 2 Team for the second time last week, he is also a two-time member of the Patriot League All-Academic Team, and he is a participant in the Bucknell Bison Leadership Academy.
A team captain and highly regarded member of the Bucknell and surrounding communities, Muscala is statistically one of the best players in all of Division I basketball this season. He leads the Patriot League in scoring (19.0), rebounding (11.5) and blocked shots (2.8) per game, and he also leads the team in assists (2.8) per game. Among the national leaders, Muscala leads the nation in double-doubles with 16, and he ranks fourth in rebounding, 16th in blocked shots and 27th in scoring.
Muscala is the only player in the country averaging even 18 points and 11 rebounds per game, and he is one of only three Division I players currently leading his team in scoring, rebounding, assists and blocks.
On Bucknell's career lists, Muscala ranks second in points (1,836), second in blocks (255) and third in rebounds (979). He also ranks second in rebounds and blocks and fifth in scoring in Patriot League history.
Muscala currently ranks No. 1 among all Division I players in ESPN's Player Efficiency Rating, a formula that uses various statistical ratios to determine a player's per-minute production.
In addition to Muscala, the other finalists are Matthew Dellavedova of Saint Mary's, Mike Groselle of The Citadel, Jordan Hulls of Indiana, Jonathan Lee of Northeastern, C.J. McCollum of Lehigh, Mason Plumlee of Duke, Peyton Siva of Louisville, Andrew Smith of Butler and Marc Trasolini of Santa Clara.
Bucknell is currently 19-4 overall and 6-1 in the Patriot League, good for a tie for the league lead alongside Lehigh. The Bison are back in action on Saturday at Army at 4 p.m.
