STEVENS POINT, Wis. – UW-Stevens Point senior forward Alex Richard (Spring Green, WI/River Valley) was named to the Capital One Academic All-District 6 First Team, selected by the College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA), as announced on Thursday.

CoSIDA Release | Past Recipients

Richard is the first UW-Stevens Point player to receive the honor, which recognizes the nation's top student-athletes for their performances both on the court and in the classroom, since Ross Rortvedt and Steve Hicklin were each named to the third team in 2008. He is the program's first-ever first team selection and the fifth to be named in the teams since 1997.

The senior from Spring Green is majoring in health promotion/wellness and has a 3.54 cumulative grade-point average. He was one of just six players to be named on the first team and was joined by DJ Beckman of Alma, Jordan Brink of Calvin, Adam Peters of Kalamazoo, Andrew Schwoerer of St. Norbert and Kyle Zimmerman of Bethel (Minn.).

Richard is the leading scorer for No. 15 UW-Stevens Point (17-4, 11-1 WIAC) this season, averaging 13.4 points per game. He also averages 4.2 rebounds and 1.5 steals a game for the Pointers. The senior ranks second in the conference in field-goal percentage (.611) and is also in the top 10 in free-throw percentage (.740), steals (1.45) and offensive rebounds (2.25).

Richard has scored in double figures in 17 of 21 games this season, including a career-high 25 points in an overtime victory against Edgewood on Nov. 25, 2014. He also recorded the first double-double of his career with 19 points and 10 boards in a win over UW-Eau Claire on Dec. 3, 2014. On Jan. 24, 2015, the senior hit a half-court, buzzer-beating three-pointer to give the Pointers a 69-66 overtime victory over UW-Oshkosh.

All Academic All-District First Team members advance to the Capital One Academic All-America Team ballot, where first-, second- and third-team All-America honorees will be selected later this month.
Richard and the Pointers travel to UW-Platteville on Saturday, Feb. 7 to take on the Pioneers at 7 p.m. at Bo Ryan Court.