Siena’s Bisping named senior CLASS award candidate

LOUDONVILLE, N.Y. – Siena Basketball red-shirt senior forward Brett Bisping has been named one of just 30 candidates nationally in his sport for the prestigious Senior CLASS Award. To be eligible, a student athlete must be classified as an NCAA Division I senior and have notable achievements in four areas of excellence: community, classroom, character and competition.

Bisping becomes Siena College’s 16th Senior CLASS Award candidate, with all having come since 2010. The Peoria, Illinois native is the second student athlete in Siena Men’s Basketball history to be considered for the honor, joining O.D. Anosike in 2012.

An acronym for Celebrating Loyalty and Achievement for Staying in School, the Senior CLASS Award focuses on the total student athlete and encourages students to use their platform in athletics to make a positive impact as leaders in their communities.

The 30 Division I men’s basketball candidates will be narrowed down to a field of 10 finalists in February, who will be placed on the official ballot. Ballots will be distributed through a nationwide voting system to media, coaches and fans, who will select one candidate who best exemplifies excellence in the four C’s of community, classroom, character and competition. The Senior CLASS Award winner will be announced during the 2017 NCAA Men’s Final Four.

Throughout his career, Bisping has excelled in each of the four criteria outlined in the Senior CLASS Award.

On the court, Bisping currently ranks sixth in program history with 846 career rebounds, and 22nd in scoring with 1,300 points. A Preseason First Team All-MAAC and College Sports Madness Preseason All-Mid Major Second Team selection, he is averaging 11.9 points and currently ranks second in the MAAC in rebounding (9.5), seventh in field goal percentage (.521), and ninth in steals (1.4). Bisping was named Siena College’s 2015-16 Male Student Athlete of the Year, a unanimous First Team All-MAAC selection, and a MAAC All-Tournament Team and NABC District I First Team honoree after leading the MAAC in rebounding (10.4) and ranking eighth in scoring (15.9) last season. He was also previously named the 2014 College Basketball Invitational Most Valuable Player after leading Siena to the program’s first Division I National Postseason Tournament Championship.

Bisping has been the consummate student athlete, as he completed his undergraduate studies in the spring with a 3.42 cumulative grade-point average. A double major in finance and economics, he recorded a perfect 4.0 GPA during the most recent fall semester. Bisping was named to the NABC Honors Court in 2014-15, and last year was selected as one of just 10 student athletes nationally for the Division I-AAA-ADA Scholar Athlete Team. He has been named to both the MAAC All-Academic Team and Academic Honor Roll in each year of eligibility, and also earned Siena College Deans’ List acclaim three times as an undergraduate.

A team captain each of the past two seasons, Bisping has also exhibited tremendous character and leadership. He was selected as a nominee for the 2015 NABC Allstate Good Works Team, and has served as an active participant in Siena Athletics’ “Saints in the Community” program. Bisping, along with his teammates, has taken part in numerous community service ventures during his time in Loudonville including serving food at local soup kitchens, visiting local schools as part of Siena Athletics’ “Adopt-A-School” program, and preparing meals at the local Ronald McDonald House just to name a few.

For more information on Bisping’s candidacy and all of this year’s candidates, visit seniorCLASSaward.com.

ABOUT THE AWARD
An acronym for Celebrating Loyalty and Achievement for Staying in School, the Senior CLASS Award honors the attributes of senior student athletes in four areas: community, classroom, character and competition. The award program is designed exclusively for college seniors who are utilizing their complete athletic eligibility, remaining committed to their university and pursuing the many rewards a senior season can bring. Premier Sports Management manages the award.