CORPUS CHRISTI – Rising seniors Bryce Douvier and Cole Martinez of the Texas A&M-Corpus Christi men's basketball team have been named to the 2014-15 National Association of Basketball Coaches Honors Court, the organization announced today. It is the first time either player has collected Honors Court recognition for the Islanders.
"I'm so proud of both Cole and Bryce for their achievements not just in the classroom and on the court, but in every facet of their daily life as Islanders Basketball players," head coach Willis Wilson said. "Both of them are high-character young men who do all things at the highest level, and are great examples for our younger players of how to live up to the standards of our program."
This marks the second straight year that the Islanders have had two honorees on the Honors Court, as
Jake Kocher and James King were honored in 2013-14. Kennon Dvorak collected the recognition in both 2011-12 and 2012-13, giving A&M-Corpus Christi six players represented in the last four years.
Douvier holds a 3.32 GPA in communications in his time on the Island. The Sedgwick, Kan., native was named to the 2014-15 Southland All-Academic Second Team for his performance both on and off the court last season. Douvier averaged 9.0 points and 5.8 rebounds per game on the season, and tallied a pair of double-doubles, one at New Orleans on Jan. 24 and one at Florida Gulf Coast in the opening round game of the College Insider Tournament on March 18. He had seven games with 15 points or more on the year, including a season-best 19 against Mississippi Valley State on Nov. 28. He was strong down the stretch on the offensive end, finishing in double figures in eight of his last 10 games.
Martinez, a senior from San Antonio, holds a 3.50 cumulative GPA in kinesiology heading into the 2015-16 season. Last season, he played in 28 games for the Islanders, scoring 2.1 points per game and nailing 31 percent of his shots from downtown. He hit all 13 of his free-throw attempts, upping his career percentage to .870 at the stripe. He sealed the team's victory over Incarnate Word on Feb. 3 by falling on a loose ball out of a scrum.
The NABC Honors Court recognizes the talents and gifts that honorees possess off the court and the hard work they exhibit in the classroom. In order to be named to the Honors Court, a student-athlete must meet a high standard of academic criteria. The qualifications are as follows:
1. Academically a junior or senior and a varsity player.
2. Cumulative grade point average (GPA) of 3.2 or higher at the conclusion of the 2014-15 academic year.
3. Students must have matriculated at least one year at their current institution.
4. Member of a NCAA Division I, II, III, or NAIA Division I or II institution with a NABC member coach.
The 2014-15 Islanders posted their second straight appearance in the College Insider Tournament, where this year the team defeated FGCU and hosted a postseason game for the first time (vs. Kent State on March 23). At 20-14, the Islanders collected the first 20-win season for the program since 2006-07.
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