Illinois State mens basketball player Neil Plank was selected as the Prairie Farms/Missouri Valley Conference Scholar-Athlete of the Week for the period of Dec. 6-12, by the conference Thursday afternoon. Plank is the first Illinois State mens basketball player to receive such an honor this season.
Plank, a junior from Mt. Zion, Ill., led the Redbirds to a 79-67 victory over Marshall on Dec. 11. Plank, who has a 4.00 cumulative grade point average in finance and insurance, tied a career high of 21 points on 8-of-11 shooting from the field, pulled down eight rebounds and dished out two assists.
Earlier this year, Plank received one of the most prestigious awards an Illinois State student-athlete can earn, Scholar-Athlete of the Year. This award is given out yearly to a male and female athlete that exudes excellence in the classroom and on the court.
To qualify for Prairie Farms/Missouri Valley Conference Scholar-Athlete of the Week, student-athletes must carry a cumulative grade point average of 3.0, completed at least one academic year at a Valley institution and must be a sophomore in academic standing. The student-athlete is evaluated on their athletic performance for a one-week period.
