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SoonerShark
3/1/2006, 06:27 PM
http://www.soonersports.com/ViewArticle.dbml?DB_OEM_ID=300&ATCLID=244317

Bookout Named Academic All-American
Courtesy: SoonerSports.com

NORMAN, Okla. – What a week for Kevin Bookout. Two days after he helped the Sooners to a 67-66 win over rival Oklahoma State in his final career home game, the Oklahoma senior forward was named an ESPN The Magazine Third-Team Academic All-American on Wednesday. Bookout became the first OU men’s basketball player since Terry Stotts in 1980 to be honored as an Academic All-American.

A human relations major with a 3.25 cumulative grade-point average, Bookout was the only Big 12 representative among the 17 student-athletes on the first, second and third teams.

“I’m very honored,” said Bookout, who also competes in track and field and is a two-time All-American in the shot put. “I made this a goal of mine at the beginning of the year and now it’s a reality. It goes to show that if you put forth effort both on and off the court, you will be rewarded. I’ve always valued my scholarship at OU and have never taken anything for granted. I am blessed to have had the opportunities I’ve had my four years here and I’ve tried to make the most out of them. The academic support staff at OU has been extremely helpful.

“To be named an Academic All-American, that’s special to me. Nobody will ever be able to take that away.”

The 6-8, 270-pound Bookout has put together a solid senior campaign by averaging 11.2 points and 7.0 rebounds while shooting .563 from the field. Bookout ranks second in school history with his .574 career field goal percentage and recently became the 34th player at OU to score 1,000 career points (he now ranks 30th with 1,076 points). He also ranks 14th with 664 career rebounds.

Against Oklahoma State on Monday, Bookout had 14 points and five rebounds. His fast-break dunk with 8.8 seconds left gave the Sooners a one-point lead.

This marks the fourth Academic All-America honor in men’s basketball for Oklahoma. In addition to Stotts in 1980, Alvan Adams earned Academic All-America acclaim in 1974 and 1975.

Bookout, who was valedictorian at Stroud High School, also was named a First-Team Academic All-Big 12 selection today along with teammate Nate Carter. Bookout was also a First-Team Academic All-Big 12 selection as a junior and was honored with OU’s Athletics Director’s Leadership Award. He has been named to the Big 12 Commissioner’s Honor Roll six semesters and to the Dean’s Honor Roll two semesters.

ESPN The Magazine Academic All-America Men’s Basketball Teams
(University Division)

First Team
Johannes Herber, West Virginia, Senior
Will Emerson, Mercer, Senior
Dan Grunfeld, Stanford, Senior
Chris Quinn, Notre Dame, Senior
Kibwe Trim, Sacred Heart, Senior

Second Team
Brian Thornton, Xavier, Graduate
Steve Burtt, Iona, Senior
Kelly Golob, Northern Arizona, Senior
Lee Humphrey, Florida, Junior
Matt Stehle, Harvard, Senior

Third Team
Kevin Bookout, Oklahoma, Senior
Neil Plank, Illinois State, Graduate
Zac Schlader, Austin Peay, Senior
Adam Haluska, Iowa, Junior
Greg Brunner, Iowa, Senior
Lenny Collins, Cornell, Senior
Alex Loughton, Old Dominion, Senior

SoonerShark
3/1/2006, 06:29 PM
Gee...I guess all of the guys over on the PokeMyself's websites were wrong about him being dumb. Ponder that.

SoonerShark
3/1/2006, 06:41 PM
And guess what? Kevin actually can dunk the ball.