ST. LOUIS, Mo. — Southern Illinois junior forward Marcus Domask was named the co-State Farm MVC Scholar-Athlete of the Year, along with Northern Iowa’s A.J. Green, the Missouri Valley Conference announced on Thursday.
Domask, who has a 4.00 GPA and is majoring in sport administration, is SIU’s first Scholar-Athlete of the Year in men’s basketball since current head coach Bryan Mullins won it in 2009. Other previous winners of the award from SIU include Kent Williams (2002, 2003) and Jamaal Tatum (2007). The MVC’s Scholar-Athlete of the Year award began in 2001.
Domask has started every game for the Salukis this season and leads the team in scoring (15.1), rebounding (5.1) and assists (3.9). He received the scholar-athlete award, along with a plaque for All-MVC Second Team honors, at today’s annual MVC Coach Of The Year Luncheon.
Saluki guard Steven Verplancken Jr. (3.933 GPA, Sport Administration) and center Kyler Filewich (3.875 GPA, Management) were also named MVC Scholar-Athlete Second-Team, the league announced.
Verplancken has played in every game with 24 starts and ranks third in the MVC in 3-point percentage (.420). He has made six of his last seven shots from 3-point. Filewich has played in all 30 games with four starts and ranks sixth in the MVC in field goal percentage (.551). In the last nine games, he is 22-of-36 (.611) from the field.
