Dixie State senior forward Hunter Schofield was named to the 2021-22 CoSIDA Division I Men's Basketball Academic All-America First Team, as announced by the College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA) on Tuesday.
 
With the honor, Schofield becomes the first Trailblazer in the program's NCAA era to earn First Team Academic All-America honors, and is the first player to be a repeat selection as he was a second team selection last season. Schofield is one of three players in DSU's four-year era to be named CoSIDA Academic All-Americans, joining former Blazers Josh Fuller (2016-17 Second Team) and Brandon Simister (2017-18 Second Team) on the prestigious list.

Schofield (6-8; Spanish Fork, Utah/Spanish Fork HS/Salt Lake CC), who carries a 3.94 GPA as an exercise science major, was a first team all-Western Athletic Conference selection this past season after he led DSU in scoring (15.0 ppg – 8^th in the WAC) and rebounder (6.3 rpg – 12^th in the WAC). In addition, he finished sixth in the WAC defensive rebounding average (5.0 rpg) and 12^th in the conference in field goal percentage (.472).
 
The senior scored in double figures in 26 of 31 games this season, including 14 of his last 15 starts. Schofield scored 20 or more points seven times, highlighted by a season-high 29 points in the Trailblazers' home-opening win over in-state rival Southern Utah (W, 83-76) back on Nov. 12.

He also became the first player in Dixie State's NCAA era to score 20 or more points in four-straight games, doing so in WAC play at Seattle U (25 pts; 1/15), at home vs. Lamar (22 pts; 1/20) and UTRGV (22 pts; 1/22) and at Chicago State (23 pts; 1/29). He also poured in 26 points against both Utah Valley (2/19) and California Baptist (2/24) during his final collegiate homestand.
 
The senior posted five double-doubles this past season, including a season-high 12 rebounds to go with his 22 points vs. Lamar (1/20). He also recorded two more over his final four games with 26 points and 11 rebounds against CBU (2/24), and 10 points and 11 boards in his final collegiate game at Grand Canyon (3/5).
 
Earlier in the year he became the fourth player in DSU's NCAA era to join the 1,000-point/400-rebound club, and was the first to do it in the same game, as he reached both milestone numbers at Seattle U (1/15).
 
Schofield would later become one of only three players to score at least 1,200 points, and he closed out his three-year DSU career one rebound shy of becoming just the third player in the program's 1,200/500 club as he finished with 1,223 points and 499 rebounds.
 
In all, Schofield is ranked in the top-10 all-time in 11 career statistical categories, including second all-time in field goals made (472), third in points, rebounds, scoring average (14.9 ppg), and FG attempted (946), fifth in rebounding average (6.08 rpg), sixth in FT attempted (328), seventh in starts (73), FT made (224) and blocks (42), and 10^th in FG percentage (.499)
 
Dixie State wrapped up its second season of NCAA Division I play with a 13-18 overall record, five wins more than the Blazers' posted in their D-I debut campaign last year. DSU finished with a 10-6 record inside the Burns Arena, and wound up 6-12 in WAC play, which was good for 10^th place in the conference standings.

For more information on the CoSIDA Academic All-America program, which recognizes the nation's top student-athletes for their combined performances athletically and in the classroom at all NCAA levels and the NAIA, please visit academicallamerica.com.

2021-22 NCAA Division I Men's Basketball Academic All-America Team
CoSIDA Academic All-America® Team Member of the Year:
Ben Vander Plas, Ohio University
 
FIRST TEAM
Name                          School                                      Yr.     GPA                 Major
Jimmy Boeheim          Syracuse University                   Gr.    3.78/4.00        Education
Tanner Groves            University of Oklahoma             Gr.    3.89/4.00         Organizational Leadership
Hunter Schofield       Dixie State University             Sr.    3.94                Exercise Science
JT Shumate                 University of Toledo                  Sr.    3.85                Middle Childhood Education
Ben Vander Plas         Ohio University                          Gr.    3.96/3.96        Management
 
SECOND TEAM
Name                          School                                        Yr.   GPA               Major
Antoine Davis             University of Detroit-Mercy          Sr.    3.39               Communication
Matt Dentlinger           South Dakota State University    Gr.    3.99/4.00       Engineering
AJ Green                     University of Northern Iowa        Sr.    3.67               Movement, Exercise Science & Sport Psychology
Gibson Jimerson         Saint Louis University                 Jr.     3.90               International Business
Kahliel Speark            Robert Morris University              Sr.    3.92                Economics
 
THIRD TEAM
Name                          School                                        Yr.     GPA              Major
Josh Bannan                University of Montana                So.    3.91               Business Economics
Justin Bean                  Utah State University                 Gr.     3.34/3.33       Kinesiology & Nutrition Science
Rocky Kreuser            North Dakota State University     Gr.     3.62/4.00       University Studies/Health, Nutrition & Exercise Science
Chris Ledlum              Harvard University                       Jr.      3.47               Sociology
Luke Smith                 Belmont University                       Gr.     3.67/3.92       Business Administration/MBA 

Dixie State CoSIDA Academic All-America Honorees
2016-17 – Josh Fuller
2017-18 – Brandon Simister
2020-21 – Hunter Schofield
2021-22 – Hunter Schofield