Friday, February 10, 2006

Valparaiso University senior Dan Oppland (Saint Louis, Mo./Whitfield) has been named to the 2006 ESPN The Magazine Academic All-District V Men's Basketball Team, as selected by the College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA), the third straight year he has been so honored.

In 2005, Oppland was also named to the ESPN The Magazine Academic All-America Third Team, and he is having a better season on the court this year. The 6'8" forward leads the Brown and Gold with a 19.9 point per game scoring average and is second on the team at 7.5 rebounds per game. Those totals rank fourth and fifth in the Mid-Continent Conference respectively. Oppland had a string of 28-straight games with double-figure points snapped Thursday night, but still ranks in fourth all-time in Crusader history in both points (1,644) and rebounds (714).

In the classroom, Oppland carries a 3.55 grade point average in Sports Management. He has been a member of the Mid-Con's All-Academic Team each of the past two seasons. Oppland will now appear on the ballot for Academic All-America.

The All-Academic Team is voted on by members of CoSIDA from District V which encompasses the states Illinois, Indiana, Minnesota, and Wisconsin, along with the Canadian provinces of Manitoba and Ontario. To be eligible for Academic All-District, student-athletes must hold at least sophomore status, own a minimum grade-point average of 3.20, and be either a starter or key reserve.