March 2, 2005

Wake Forest sophomore guard Chris Paul was named to the 2005 ESPN The Magazine Academic All-America Team today. Paul, the only sophomore among the 15 players chosen for the team, was a third team selection.

Paul, who owns a cumulative 3.21 grade-point average (he is undecided on a major), is just the second Demon Deacon men's basketball player to earn Academic All-America honors. Paul joins Rusty LaRue, who earned third team honors in 1996. Paul is the 22nd student-athlete of any sport at Wake Forest to earn Academic All-America honors.

A Lewisville (NC) native, Paul is the only player from the ACC to make the men's basketball All-America Team. He is one of just five players from a BCS conference to make the team.

Below is a look at the 2005 ESPN The Magazine Academic All-America Team for men's basketball:

First Team Name School Year Hometown GPA Major Eric Castro Southern Methodist Sr. Oklahoma City, Okla. 3.80 Sociology/Accounting Will Emerson Mercer Jr. Saint Mary's, Ga. 4.00 Biology Johannes Herber West Virginia Jr. Darmstadt, Germany 4.00 Political Science Chris Hill Michigan State Sr. Indianapolis, Ind. 3.75 Finance Derek Winans Southeast Missouri State Sr. East Cape Girardeau, Ill. 3.97 Business

Second Team Name School Year Hometown GPA Major Turner Battle University at Buffalo Sr. Cornersville, N.C. 3.56 Communications Erik Benzel Denver Sr. Spokane, Wash. 3.69 Finance Craig Forth Syracuse Sr. East Greenbush, N.Y. 3.85 Inclusive Education and Geography Dan Grunfeld Stanford Jr. River Hills, Wis. 3.66 American Studies Neil Plank Illinois State Jr. Mount Zion, Ill. 4.00 Finance

Third Team Name School Year Hometown GPA Major David Erbes North Dakota State Sr. Barney, N.D. 3.88 Agricultural Economics Christian Maraker Pacific Sr. Varberg, Sweden 3.46 Sports Sciences Dan Oppland Valparaiso Jr. St. Louis, Mo. 3.49 Physical Education/ Sports Management Chris Paul Wake Forest Soph. Winston-Salem, N.C. 3.21 Undecided Dennis Trammel Ball State Sr. Chicago, Ill. 3.42 Business Management