Pitt Earns Academic All-District Honors
PRINCESS ANNE, Md. – University of Maryland Eastern Shore men’s basketball player Ishaq Pitt was named to the 2015 Capital One Academic All-District team, receiving first team honors in District 2. With the recognition, Pitt is among 43 finalists remaining in NCAA Division I men’s basketball for the Capital One Academic All-America team.
The College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA) selected the district winners, with 43 total Division I men’s basketball players chosen for eight districts. Pitt was chosen for District 2, representing schools in Maryland, Delaware, D.C., New Jersey, Pennsylvania, West Virginia and Kentucky. Pitt, a senior point guard for the Hawks’ basketball team, has distinguished himself in the classroom over his entire academic career. Pitt completed his coursework this fall for a degree in Accounting with a 3.95 grade-point average. Pitt’s GPA is the best among District 2 winners, and the fifth-best from the entire nationwide pool of finalists. Pitt is the only Division I men’s basketball finalist nominated from a historically black college or university.
The Brooklyn, N.Y. native has made the university’s dean list for every semester of his academic career, in addition to making the MEAC Commissioner’s All-Academic Team for 2013 & 2014. Similarly, Pitt was named to the National Association of Basketball Coaches (NABC) Honors Court each of the past two seasons. For his dedication to academics and commitment to the local community, Pitt was named the Arthur Ashe Jr. Sports Scholar of the Year for 2014. Pitt would be the first male student-athlete, and the third overall, from UMES to win Academic All-America honors from CoSIDA if he progresses further. Pitt has a chance to join bowlers Kristina Frahm and Megan Buja, a two-time winner, as the only Academic All-American winners from the school.
The senior point guard has been a crucial contributor to the Hawks’ turnaround this season. A captain and floor general for UMES, Pitt leads the team with 4.0 assists per game, fourth-most in the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference. Pitt has become a versatile defender, guarding multiple positions on the floor and grabbing 3.5 rebounds per game, a strong mark for a guard. With Pitt’s leadership, UMES has won 14 games so far this season, more than any season for the Hawks’ program since 1993-94. The Hawks are closing in on the opportunity to post the team’s first winning record in over two decades.
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