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Cranford an all-star on, off court |
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Thursday, 15 February 2007 |
by RYAN WIXTED
Intern Sports Reporter
About 110 miles south of Boone, in Harrisburg, N.C., there are two parents that could not be more proud of what their son has accomplished.
Appalachian State University senior guard Nate Cranford, who is averaging 9.8 points per game and 41 percent from three-point range, is one of the reasons why the Mountaineers are sitting atop the Southern Conference North Division standings.
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However, Cranford’s 3.5 grade point average is what his parents Greg and Jen Cranford enjoy the most.
Cranford’s hard work in the classroom earned him a spot on ESPN The Magazine’s All-Academic District team early this week.
“I think it’s a terrific honor for Nate,” his father said. “And, as
parents, we could not be more proud of this accomplishment.”
Cranford who was just one of two players in the Southern Conference to
be honored, is now eligible for Academic All-American honors, which are
voted on by the College Sports Information Directors of America.
“I feel flattered,” Cranford said. “It’s a great accolade for me
personally and something that I will be glad to share with my kids and
my grandchildren sometime down the road.”
Cranford, who earned his degree in business last spring, is now pursing
his masters of business administration. He understands the importance
of an education in order to be successful in today’s society.
“He had a great academic foundation before arriving here,” ASU head coach Houston Fancher said.
“His family really emphasized the importance of academics, and he came in here and took it to the next level.”
Since arriving at ASU in 2003, Cranford earned All-Academic honors as a
freshman, and he has kept his grade point average above 3.5 all four
years.
“As an undergraduate student, the work came easy to me,” Cranford said.
“But as a graduate student, I spend about three to four hours a night
usually studying.”
On the hardwood, Cranford has put plenty of hours in at practice, and
he’s had one of the most productive seasons of his career. Cranford
leads the Mountaineers team in three pointers made with 67 so far this
season.
In last month’s game versus the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga, Cranford went 10 of 11 from three-point range.
That performance currently leaves him at fourth best in the nation,
while his single game percentage of 90.9 is second best in the nation.
“He’s not the most athletically-gifted player,” Fancher said. “But his
work ethic is what takes him where he needs to be in order to be
successful.”
Cranford could become only the eighth athlete in ASU athletics history
to be named an Academic All-American, and the first in the sport of
basketball at Appalachian.
“The accolades on the court are very impressive,” his father said. “But
the accolades in the classroom will position for success in life.”
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