COLLEGE BASKETBALL NATIONAL PLAYER OF THE YEAR EMEKA OKAFOR NAMED INAUGURAL CSTV STUDENT-ATHLETE OF THE YEAR
Okafor was chosen based on his accomplishments in the classroom and on the basketball court, and he will be at the CSTV booth at the National Cable Show in New Orleans today in recognition of his successes. He will graduate from the University of Connecticut this Sunday, May 9, with a 3.8 grade point average and a degree in Finance, having fulfilled his degree requirements in just three years.
"I can think of no better choice for this award than Emeka, as he has exhibited a remarkable commitment to academic and athletic excellence," said Brian Bedol, president and CEO, CSTV. "His work ethic, his ability to balance basketball and the books, and his unselfish sense of team play personify the student-athlete concept which CSTV celebrates on-air and online."
Emeka Okafor's Academic Achievements
Graduating from UConn this Sunday, May 9, with a 3.8 grade point average and a degree in Finance
2004 Academic All-American of the Year and a two-time first-team Academic All-American
Earned enough credits to complete his undergraduate degree in just three years; took summer school courses while at UConn
Earned college credits while attending high school in Houston
Emeka Okafor's Athletic Achievements
2004 National Player of the Year and National Defensive Player of the Year while leading UConn to the NCAA National Championship
Named Most Outstanding Player of the Final Four, and had 24 points and 15 rebounds in championship game against Georgia Tech
Started 103 games in three seasons, averaging 13.8 points, 10.6 rebounds and 4.28 blocked shots per game
Holds the UConn career record for blocked shots with 441 (4.28 per game), and finished his career ranked seventh in the NCAA in blocked shots despite playing only three seasons
His career field goal percentage of 59% ranks number one all-time at UConn
Amassed 53 career double-doubles (points-rebounds)
College Sports TV, the fastest-growing independent cable network, is available to more than 20 million homes nationally on cable and satellite. The network is available on Time Warner, Adelphia and Insight cable systems, among others, and is also available on DirecTV (channel 610). For information on CSTV availability in particular markets, consumers can log on to www.collegesports.com or call their cable or satellite operator.
CSTV is comprised of two primary business units: College Sports TV and CollegeSports.com. College Sports TV televises regular season and championship event coverage from every major collegiate athletic conference, in addition to nine NCAA Championships. The network also has a programming and marketing agreement with the U.S. Olympic Committee. CollegeSports.com, the most-trafficked college sports Web site, and its network of 150 official athletic sites for top colleges, universities and athletic associations, are the number one online source for college sports news, information, scores and analysis.
CSTV was co-founded by President/CEO Brian Bedol, Chairman Stephen Greenberg and Executive Vice President Chris Bevilacqua. Bedol and Greenberg co-founded Classic Sports Network, which they sold to ESPN. It is now ESPN Classic. Bevilacqua is a former senior executive with Nike Inc., where he headed the company's successful foray into the college market.
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Eric Handler Wayne Catan
CSTV: College Sports Television Catan Communications for CSTV
ehandler@cstv.com wayne@catancomm.com
At National Cable Show: 646-372-4343 At National Cable Show: 973-462-9062
Peter Land & Larry Koffler
Edelman for CSTV
At National Cable Show: 646-372-4343