2019-20 CoSIDA ACADEMIC ALL-AMERICA D-III MEN'S/WOMEN'S BASKETBALL TEAMS

MINNEAPOLIS -- For the second straight year, Augsburg University's Booker Coplin (SR, Shakopee, Minn./Shakopee HS) was named to the Academic All-America Division III Men's Basketball Team, as selected by the College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA), this year as a first-team honoree, it was announced on Tuesday.

A biopsychology major with a 3.60 grade-point average, Coplin is the 13th Augsburg student-athlete to earn multiple Academic All-America honors from CoSIDA. Across all sports, Augsburg student-athletes have now been honored 45 times with CoSIDA Academic All-America honors since 1981, including 35 honors since 2000. Among the 13 Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference schools, Augsburg has had the fourth-most CoSIDA Academic All-Americans all-time.

Coplin was one of three players to repeat as selections on the 15-member CoSIDA Academic All-America Division III Men's Basketball Team, divided into three squads of five players each. He was the lone MIAC men's basketball player to earn CoSIDA Academic All-America men's basketball honors. Coplin earned CoSIDA Academic All-America second-team honors last season, CoSIDA Academic All-District honors both last year and this year, and earned Academic All-MIAC and National Association of Basketball Coaches (NABC) Honors Court honors last season.

The academic award is the latest in a career of honors for Coplin, one of the best players in Augsburg men's basketball history. Last week, he was named as the MIAC's co-Player of the Year for the second straight year, earning All-MIAC first-team honors after being named a second-team All-MIAC honoree his sophomore campaign. 

Named a first-team Preseason All-American by D3hoops.com this season, Coplin had one of the best individual seasons in Augsburg men's basketball history last season. He was named NABC Division III National Player of the Year, the first time an Auggie had ever earned the honor, and earned All-America honors by both the NABC (first team) and D3hoops.com (second team). He was also named NABC Division III West District Player of the Year, as a first-team honoree to the NABC Coaches' Division III All-West District Team, and as a first-team honoree to the D3hoops.com All-West Region team.

For the second straight season, Coplin led all MIAC players in overall scoring, averaging 23.7 points per-game. He also led the conference in points scored (617), field goals (207) and free throws (141) made, while standing second in the league with 62 three-pointers. His 220 rebounds were second-most among league players, with his 8.5 rebounds per-game average was third-best. He also finished second in the conference in steals (42), fifth in assists (99) and fifth in blocked shots (28). Among NCAA Division III players nationally (as of March 8 games), Coplin currently ranks 17th in points per-game, 24th in total points and 26th in field goals made.

Coplin earned MIAC Athlete of the Week honors three times this season (seven times in his career) and D3hoops.com Team of the Week honors twice this season (five times in his career). He scored in double-figures in 25 of his 26 games this season and 73 of 81 games in his Auggie career, scored 20-plus points in 20 games (49 career), and 30-plus points in four games (15 career). He finished this season with 11 double-doubles (28 career).

A transfer who played his first season at Wisconsin-River Falls, Coplin shined in his three Auggie campaigns, finishing fifth in school history with 1,784 points in an Auggie uniform (83 games, 81 starts). His 21.5 Augsburg points per-game career average is third-best in school history. He finished with 668 rebounds (seventh in school history), 280 assists (fifth), 157 steals (third) and 65 blocked shots (eighth) as an Auggie. His 179 career three-pointers are fourth in school history, while his 87.2-percent free-throw percentage (361-of-414) is a school record.

Including his first year at UW-River Falls (111 games, 91 starts), Coplin finished his career with 1,868 points (16.8 per-game), with 725 rebounds (6.5 per-game), 193 three-pointers, 311 assists, 178 steals and 70 blocked shots.

The Academic All-America program is administered by the College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA). Top student-athletes, who have already earned Academic All-District first-team honors, are eligible for inclusion on the Academic All-America team. Student-athletes must have reached sophomore athletic and academic standing at their current institutions, have a grade-point average above 3.30 (4.0 scale) and have outstanding athletic credentials. The Academic All-America ballot is voted on by a committee of CoSIDA members, along with sports information directors in the various divisions. Since the program's inception in 1952, CoSIDA has bestowed Academic All-America honors on more than 20,000 student-athletes in NCAA Divisions I, II, III and NAIA, covering all NCAA championship sports. 

The Division III Academic All-America program is being financially supported by the NCAA Division III national governance structure, to assist CoSIDA with handling the awards fulfillment aspects for the Division III Academic All-America teams program. This is the ninth year of the expanded Academic All-America program, with separate teams comprising NCAA Division I, NCAA Division II and NCAA Division III participants, along with a College Division team of NAIA, Canadian and two-year schools. 

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Augsburg College's All-Time CoSIDA Academic All-Americans:
Booker Coplin, men's basketball, 2020 (first team)
Ashley St. Aubin, women's soccer, 2019 (second team)
Booker Coplin, men's basketball, 2019 (second team)
Christopher Lemke, football, 2018 (first team)
Ashley St. Aubin, women's soccer, 2018 (second team)
Nate Flynn, men's ice hockey (men's at-large), 2018 (first team)
Victor Gliva, wrestling (men's at-large), 2018 (first team)
Sam Bennyhoff, wrestling (men's at-large), 2018 (second team)
Christopher Lemke, football, 2017 (first team)
Nate Flynn, men's ice hockey (men's at-large), 2017 (second team)
Mary Cornelius, women's track and field/cross country, 2016 (third team)
Erika Allen, women's ice hockey (women's at-large), 2016 (second team)
Zach Swingen, football, 2015 (first team)
Chris DeVet, football, 2014 (first team)
Zach Swingen, football, 2014 (second team)
Lauren Rice, women's track and field/cross country, 2014 (first team)
Elianna Bier, women's swimming and diving (women's at-large), 2014 (second team)
Chad Thompson, football, 2013 (second team)
Chris DeVet, football, 2013 (second team)
Bri Dorale, softball, 2013 (first team)
Chad Thompson, football, 2012 (first team)
Tony Valek, wrestling (men's at-large), 2012 (first team)
Tony Valek, wrestling (men's at-large), 2011 (first team)
Alex Hildebrandt, men's soccer, 2009 (second team)
Alex Hildebrandt, men's soccer, 2008 (third team)
Nick Manders, men's soccer, 2007 (second team)
Andrew Neumann, football, 2006 (second team)
Ryan Valek, wrestling (men's at-large), 2006 (first team)
Riley Conway, men's track and field/cross country, 2005 (second team)
Mark Matzek, wrestling (men's at-large), 2005 (first team)
Ryan Valek, wrestling (men's at-large), 2005 (third team)
Darren Ginther, baseball, 2005 (first team)
Brent Peroutka, football, 2001 (second team)
Josh Cagle, wrestling (men's at-large), 2000 (first team)
Brian Jones, wrestling (men's at-large), 2000 (second team)
Josh Cagle, wrestling (men's at-large), 1999 (second team)
Jim Peterson, wrestling (men's at-large), 1999 (second team)
Scott Hvistendahl, football, 1998 (second team)
Ted Schultz, football, 1997 (first team)
Scott Hvistendahl, football, 1997 (second team)
Dan Lewandowski, wrestling (men's at-large), 1997 (second team)
Andrea Haight, softball, 1991 (second team)
Karen Sterner, track and field (women's at-large), 1987 (second team)
Karen Sterner, track and field (women's at-large), 1986 (first team)
Paul Elliot, football, 1981 (only one team selected)

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(NOTE: Story includes information taken from Augsburg's 2020 All-MIAC men's basketball release and previous Academic All-America releases.)