Junior Chase Foster and sophomore Nate Renfro were named to the first team of the West Coast Conference's Men's Basketball All-Academic Team which was released today by the conference office.
 
To qualify, a student-athlete must be of at least sophomore standing, own a minimum 3.20 grade point average and be a starter or an important reserve, having participated in at least 50 percent of the institution's completed contests.
 
Foster, who was also a first-team WCC All-Academic selection last year as a sophomore, carries a 3.78 cumulative grade point average as an economics major. He is currently the team's second leading scorer with a 10.1 per game average and has scored in double figures in 15 of USF's 29 games this season.
 
Renfro, a business administration major with a 3.54 cumulative grade point average, earns first team honors in his first year of eligibility. The Dons' captain has started all 29 games this season and is averaging 5.6 points and 4.7 rebounds an outing. He also leads the team with 23 blocked shots.
 
USF is one of two schools, along with Gonzaga and BYU, to have more than one student-athlete earn first team WCC All-Academic honors.
 
Foster and Renfro are two of seven players on USF's 15-man roster who carry a cumulative grade point average of 3.30 or higher. The men's basketball team posted a 3.13 cumulative grade point average last semester.
 
The Dons will return to action Thursday night when they face the Loyola Marymount Lions in Los Angeles. Tip-off is set for 7:00 p.m. in Gersten Pavilion. USF will wrap up its regular season on Saturday at Pepperdine before opening play in the West Coast Conference Championships on Saturday, March 4 in Las Vegas.
 
2016-17 West Coast Conference Men's Basketball All-Academic Team
Chase Foster, USF, Jr., 3.78, Economics
Davin Guinn, BYU, Jr., 3.93, Political Science
Steven Harney, Loyola Marymount, Jr., 3.33, Communications
Przemek Karnowski, Gonzaga, Graduate, 3.43, MBA
Nate Kratch, Santa Clara, Graduate, 3.89, Counseling Psychology
Eric Mika, BYU, So., 3.68, Pre-Management
Josh Perkins, Gonzaga, So., 3.24, Sport Management
Joe Rahon, Saint Mary's, Graduate, 3.65, Leadership
Nate Renfro, USF, So., 3.54, Business Administration
Nigel Williams-Goss, Gonzaga, Jr., 3.84, Psychology
 
Honorable Mention: Kyle Clark, Saint Mary's; Kevin Hempy, Pepperdine; Jordan Hunter, Saint Mary's; Braiden Shaw, BYU, Gabe Taylor, Portland; Tonko Vuko, Pacific