Date Posted: 2/8/2008

MACON, Ga. - In continuing the long-standing conference tradition of academic excellence, three Atlantic Sun men's basketball players earned ESPN The Magazine Academic All-District First Team honors. Belmont's Justin Hare, who made the team for third straight year along Gardner-Webb's Thomas Sanders and USC Upstate's Luke Payne represent the conference.

Hare, a 6-2 guard from Cleveland, Tennessee sports a 3.87 GPA in his chosen major of exercise science and health promotion. He plans to attend medical school upon graduation in May.

Hare, among the most decorated players in Belmont Basketball history, is the two-time reigning Atlantic Sun Tournament MVP, a 2007 All-Atlantic Sun First Team selection, and was recently named Mid-Major All-American by CollegeInsider.com. Having earned a reputation as a clutch performer under pressure with 14 career game-winning or game-tying shots in the final seconds, Hare has scored 1,635 career points to place him second on the Bruins’ career scoring list (NCAA era).

Sanders has forged a 3.32 cumulative grade point average at Gardner-Webb in his major of Social Sciences – and is coming off an excellent fall semester where he compiled a 3.80 GPA. Sanders is the second GWU player in the past three years to be named first-team Academic All-District III (Brian Bender, 2006).

On the court, the hard-nosed Sanders has been masterful at times, and has emerged as a favorite for Atlantic Sun Conference Player of the Year through 23 games. He is easily the top scorer (17.1 ppg) and rebounder (10.0 rpg) on this year’s five-man District III All-Academic Team, which also includes Duke guard Greg Paulus and Clemson guard Cliff Hammonds.

The Sugarland, Texas, native is the nation’s top rebounder under the height of 6-foot-5 this season, and paces the A-Sun in double-doubles (13), 10-rebound games (15) and rebounding average. He ranks fourth in the A-Sun scoring race, and has also contributed 3.3 assists per game for the Runnin’ Bulldogs. He is the only player in the 12-team Atlantic Sun Conference who is averaging at least 17 points, 10 rebounds and three assists per game this season.

Payne carries a 3.81 grade point average as a business major. The senior from Spartanburg is joined on the District III First Team by Duke's Greg Paulus (3.30 GPA), Clemson's Cliff Hammonds (3.21 GPA), Gardner-Webb's Thomas Sanders (3.32 GPA) and Coastal Carolina's Jack Leasure (3.82 GPA).

While Payne has achieved tremendous success in the classroom, he has done just as outstanding a job on the court. He currently leads the team in scoring with 14.3 points per game and is the only Spartan to average in double figures in the University's first year on the Division I level. He earned Atlantic Sun Conference Player of the Week honors on Dec. 24. He reached 1,000 career points early in the season and currently ranks ninth all-time with 1,263 points. He also ranks among the program's all-time leaders in 14 other statistical categories.

To be nominated for the Academic All-America program, the student-athlete must be a starter or important reserve with at least a 3.20 cumulative grade point average (on a 4.0 scale) for his career. No athlete is eligible until he has reached sophomore athletic and academic standing at his current institution (thus, true freshmen, red-shirt freshmen and ineligible transfers are not eligible). In the cases of transfers, graduate students and junior college graduates, the athlete must have completed one full academic year at the nominating institution to be eligible.

The Academic All-District teams are voted on by members of CoSida – the College Sports Information Directors of America.

First Team All-District honorees also receive consideration for ESPN The Magazine’s Academic All-America awards.

Related Links:
 •  Complete CoSIDA Academic All-District 2008 Men's Basketball Teams