Parker, Matthew Nominated For Good Works Team
12/3/2014 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
Official Release
INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. – Stephen F. Austin men’s and women’s basketball seniors Jacob Parker and Brittney Matthew have been selected as nominees for the 2015 Allstate National Association of Basketball Coaches (NABC) and Women’s Basketball Coaches Association (WABC) Good Works Team, as announced Wednesday by the respective coaches associations.
Both Parker and Matthew, active in the SFA and Nacogdoches communities, are making their first appearances on the nominee list for this prestigious community service award which recognizes a distinguished group of student-athletes who have demonstrated a commitment to enriching the lives of others and contributing to the greater good in their communities.
Prior to this season, Parker and his teammates visited the First United Methodist Church, participating in the closing evening of its summer program, helped out a kindergarten class at Janet Brockett Elementary, sending SFA items to display as they learn about the university, and visited the College of Education on the SFA campus, taking part in its social event for freshmen and undecided majors in an effort to engage and retain students.
Through seven games, the native of Bixby, Oklahoma, has helped the ‘Jacks to a 4-3 mark, averaging 15.4 points and 6.0 rebounds per game, both of which lead the team. Parker has scored in double figures all seven contests, posting a season-high 21 points at Xavier (Nov. 21). He was also named to the Continental Tire Las Vegas Invitational All-Tournament team after helping SFA to a pair of wins inside Orleans Arena. The reigning Southland Conference Player of the Year will look to lead the ‘Jacks to a third consecutive league title in 2014-15.
Matthew has also been extremely active in the community during her time with the women’s basketball program. Along with her teammates, Matthew has volunteered her time and utilized her status as an elite college athlete on multiple occasions to help those less fortunate. This year alone she has participated in Halloween pumpkin painting with the Boys and Girls Club, visited children at a local elementary school, and helped the women’s basketball team run the annual ‘Be the Match’ bone barrow drive on campus to promote bone marrow donations.
On the court, Matthew has helped her team to a 4-3 start to the year, averaging 8.6 points and 2.1 rebounds per game. She has scored in double figures in three contests, including a season-high 16 points against UC Riverside in the University of New Mexico Thanksgiving Classic on Nov. 28. The senior guard from Houston, Texas will look to lead her team to a repeat Southland Conference championship in 2014-15.
Both the men’s and women’s teams are currently working with Toys for Tots to collect donations of toys for families during the holiday season. Fans who bring a new, unwrapped toy to the men’s game against Long Beach State on Friday will receive a free reserved ticket to the 7 p.m. game inside William R. Johnson Coliseum.
For the third year, the Allstate NABC and WBCA Good Works Team help spotlight the off-the-court good works and service to others that often goes unnoticed and unrewarded. From creating organizations benefitting at-risk youth to volunteering overseas to help impoverished communities, there are countless remarkable stories of service among this year’s group of nominees. As full-time students and athletes, these players choose to dedicate their limited free time to improving the lives of those around them.
College sports information directors and basketball coaches across the country nominated players who exhibit exceptional leadership skills and an unwavering commitment to volunteerism. From the 158 NABC nominees and 93 WBCA nominees, distinguished voting panels will select two 10-member teams comprised of five student-athletes from the NCAA® Division I level and five student-athletes from NCAA Divisions II, III and the NAIA. The final roster of 20 award recipients will be unveiled in February.
The teams will be named in February. Members of the Allstate NABC Good Works Team® will be invited by Allstate, an official corporate partner of the NCAA, to the 2015 NABC Convention and 2015 NCAA Men’s Final Four® in Indianapolis, where they will participate in a community project benefitting the host city. Members of the Allstate WBCA Good Works Team® will be recognized during the 2015 WBCA Convention and at the 2015 NCAA Women’s Final Four® in Tampa Bay, and will also participate in a local community project. Allstate is an official corporate partner of the NABC, WBCA and NCAA.
More information about the Allstate NABC Good Works Team® and the Allstate WBCA Good Works Team® is available at www.nabc.org and www.wbca.org.
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