Eastern Michigan Athletics
Three Eagles Named Academic All-MAC Honorees
3/28/2023 10:46:00 AM | Men's Basketball
Jihad, Rice, and Savicevic all earned recognition for the 2022-23 season
CLEVELAND, Ohio (EMUEagles.com) -- Three members of the Eastern Michigan University men's basketball program have been named 2022-23 Academic All-Mid-American Conference, the league announced today, March 28. Yusuf Jihad (Farmington Hills, Mich.-North Farmington-Oakland), Kevin-David Rice (Flint, Mich.-Grand Blanc-Delta College), and Luka Savicevic (Skopje, North Macedonia-Sports Academy Skopje) were each honored with Jihad earning his second career accolade for the Eagles.
The trio collected the 16th, 17th, and 18th all-time academic awards from the MAC for the program with Jihad becoming the fourth Eagle to earn multiple accolades. He joins Dan Hoff (1975 and 1976), Walt Jones (1975 and 1976), and Trent Perry (2015 and 2016) as the four players that have earned Academic All-MAC twice in a career. With their accolades, Rice and Savicevic became the 13th and 14th different Eastern players, respectively, to earn the academic honor.
Jihad appeared in 29 of the Eagles' 31 games on the year and earned a place in the starting lineup six times. He averaged 3.9 points, 1.7 rebounds and 0.3 assists on the year while ranking fourth on the team with 14 made three-point shots. Jihad had a career game against Detroit Mercy, Dec. 18, as he scored 17 points with two made triples while also shooting a perfect 3-of-3 from the line. He also added a then-best five rebounds to help Eastern to the win.
Rice saw action in 21 games and claimed a starting spot four times. Rice scored a season-high 11 points in his second game of the season, which came against NCAA Final Four participant Florida Atlantic, Dec. 4, while also adding a then-career-high five rebounds as well. He equaled his season best with 11 points in a big win over Ohio, Jan. 28, where he connected on a 3-of-4 shooting from beyond the arc to set a career-high for long distance makes. Rice finished the season averaging 3.9 points, 1.9 rebounds, and 0.4 assists.
Savicevic appeared in 16 games and earned one start on the year, which came at Toledo, Jan. 24. Twice during the season, he recorded three or more assists, including four against Wayne State, Nov. 7, in the season opener, which was one shy of his career best. He also posted back-to-back games with two steals, including the game at Oakland, Nov. 19, and at home against UC San Diego, Nov. 27. He also recorded the first two blocked shots of his career as he posted one rejection each against Bowling Green, Jan. 3, and Central Michigan, Jan. 7.
To be eligible for the academic honor, a student-athlete must carry a minimum grade-point average of 3.20 or better while appearing in at least 50 percent of the team's competitions throughout the season. Eastern joined Toledo (four) and Bowling Green (three) as the only programs to have three or more honorees this year.
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2022-23 Academic All-MAC Honorees
Yusuf Jihad, Eastern Michigan, Sr., Sport Management, 3.48 GPA
Kevin-David Rice, Eastern Michigan, Jr., General Business, 3.69 GPA
Luka Savicevic, Eastern Michigan, So., General Business, 3.72 GPA
The trio collected the 16th, 17th, and 18th all-time academic awards from the MAC for the program with Jihad becoming the fourth Eagle to earn multiple accolades. He joins Dan Hoff (1975 and 1976), Walt Jones (1975 and 1976), and Trent Perry (2015 and 2016) as the four players that have earned Academic All-MAC twice in a career. With their accolades, Rice and Savicevic became the 13th and 14th different Eastern players, respectively, to earn the academic honor.
Jihad appeared in 29 of the Eagles' 31 games on the year and earned a place in the starting lineup six times. He averaged 3.9 points, 1.7 rebounds and 0.3 assists on the year while ranking fourth on the team with 14 made three-point shots. Jihad had a career game against Detroit Mercy, Dec. 18, as he scored 17 points with two made triples while also shooting a perfect 3-of-3 from the line. He also added a then-best five rebounds to help Eastern to the win.
Rice saw action in 21 games and claimed a starting spot four times. Rice scored a season-high 11 points in his second game of the season, which came against NCAA Final Four participant Florida Atlantic, Dec. 4, while also adding a then-career-high five rebounds as well. He equaled his season best with 11 points in a big win over Ohio, Jan. 28, where he connected on a 3-of-4 shooting from beyond the arc to set a career-high for long distance makes. Rice finished the season averaging 3.9 points, 1.9 rebounds, and 0.4 assists.
Savicevic appeared in 16 games and earned one start on the year, which came at Toledo, Jan. 24. Twice during the season, he recorded three or more assists, including four against Wayne State, Nov. 7, in the season opener, which was one shy of his career best. He also posted back-to-back games with two steals, including the game at Oakland, Nov. 19, and at home against UC San Diego, Nov. 27. He also recorded the first two blocked shots of his career as he posted one rejection each against Bowling Green, Jan. 3, and Central Michigan, Jan. 7.
To be eligible for the academic honor, a student-athlete must carry a minimum grade-point average of 3.20 or better while appearing in at least 50 percent of the team's competitions throughout the season. Eastern joined Toledo (four) and Bowling Green (three) as the only programs to have three or more honorees this year.
Follow Us
For the most up-to-date information on the Eagles, visit EMUEagles.com. Fans can also follow the team on social media, including Twitter (@EMU_MBB) and Instagram (@EMUMBB).
2022-23 Academic All-MAC Honorees
Yusuf Jihad, Eastern Michigan, Sr., Sport Management, 3.48 GPA
Kevin-David Rice, Eastern Michigan, Jr., General Business, 3.69 GPA
Luka Savicevic, Eastern Michigan, So., General Business, 3.72 GPA
Players Mentioned
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