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AUSTIN, TEXAS – Ohio men's basketball redshirt senior forward Ben Vander Plas (Ripon, Wis.) has been named to the 2021-22 Academic All-America® Division I Men's Basketball Team selected by the College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA) and has been named the Division I Academic All-America® of the Year, the organization announced today (March 15). 
 
"I am so thankful to receive this award," Vander Plas said. "I've always taken my academics very seriously, and to see my hard work in the classroom payoff is cool. I also think it says a lot about the culture that Coach Boals and the rest of the staff has built here. They make sure to have guys here that are serious about getting their degree, and I am thankful to be a part of a program and a team that truly values the academic side of being a student-athlete."
 
With his recognition on the Academic All-America® Men's Basketball Team First Team, Vander Plas becomes the first Ohio's men's basketball player since Steve Skaggs in 1977 and 1978 to be named to an Academic All-America® Men's Basketball Team twice in his career. 
 
Vander Plas, who is earning his second master's degree, this one in Management, sports a 3.96 GPA. He is a three-time Academic All-District® Men's Basketball Team selection. After earning his undergraduate degree in communications, Vander Plas earned his Masters of Sport Administration in 2020-21 with a 4.0 GPA. 

"Bennett is the epitome of a student-athlete," head coach Jeff Boals said. "I am extremely happy for him on receiving this prestigious award." 

Vander Plas finished the regular season second in the team in scoring, averaging 13.9 points per game, good for second-most in a single season during his career. He averaged 45.6% shooting from the field overall and continued to be a consistent threat from beyond the arc, shooting 34.1% from deep. He averaged the second-most rebounds in a season this year, grabbing 6.7 boards per contest, and was extremely active on defense, snagging a career best 57 steals this season. He also earned a spot on the All-MAC First Team and was named the MAC Male Scholar Athlete of the Week once during the year. He was also named to the NBCA All-District 14 Second Team. 
 
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