Feb. 28, 2007
BALTIMORE, MD - Johns Hopkins senior forward Matt Griffin (Glen Mills, PA/Penncrest) has been named to the ESPN The Magazine Men's Basketball Academic All-America Third Team it was announced Wednesday. He is the third player in the history of Hopkins men's basketball to earn the honor, joining Andy Enfield (1990, 1991) and Greg Roehrig (1998).
Griffin, a Street & Smith Preseason All-American and finalist for the prestigious Jostens Trophy, leads the Blue Jays and ranks third in the Centennial Conference with 17.0 points per game. He is shooting a league-best 65.2 percent from the floor, which ranks fifth in the NCAA. His 83.9 percent clip from the free throw line also ranks second in the Centennial and 59th in the NCAA. Griffin has earned Centennial Conference and PrestoSports/Pride of Maryland Player of the Week honors twice this season. A two-time First Team All-Centennial selection, Griffin broke the Hopkins single-season record for free throws on Sunday, previously held by Enfield.
A double major in philosophy and psychology, Griffin has already completed his degree requirements with a 3.45 GPA. He is a member of Psi Chi, the National Honors Society of Psychology and is currently interning at Johns Hopkins Hospital on a cognitive behavioral study. As a sophomore, he volunteered in the adolescent ward at Sheppard-Pratt Mental Hospital, supervised group therapy sessions and taught life skills lesson plan. He is also a Johns Hopkins student advisor and has been a counselor for TD Sports Camp the past six summers.
Johns Hopkins (23-4) will play in the NCAA Tournament this weekend for the ninth time as the Blue Jays will host first and second round games at Goldfarb this weekend. The Blue Jays will battle the Villa Julie Mustangs Friday night at 8:00 pm. Manhattanville and Guilford will square off in the first game at 6:00 pm on Friday. The winners will meet Saturday at 7:00 pm for the right to advance to the sectionals next weekend.
To be nominated for the CoSIDA/ESPN The Magazine Academic All-America program, a student-athlete must be at least a sophomore with a 3.2 or higher cumulative grade point average and be a starter or significant reserve.
