University of Nevada men’s basketball sophomore forward Luke Babbitt has been named to the College Sports Information Directors of America/ESPN the Magazine Academic All-District 8 university men’s basketball first team, CoSIDA announced on Thursday.

Babbitt holds a 3.51 grade-point average and is majoring in pre-business administration. He leads the Wolf Pack and ranks in the top 25 in the country in both scoring and rebounding this season with 21.4 points and 9.9 rebounds per game. The preseason pick for Western Athletic Conference Player of the Year this season, Babbitt also ranks fourth in the nation with 14 double-doubles.

Last season, the Reno native and graduate of Galena High School was named the 2009 WAC Freshman of the Year after leading Nevada in scoring and rebounding and breaking nearly every Nevada single-season freshman record. A 2009 all-district selection by the National Association of Basketball Coaches and the United States Basketball Writers Association, Babbitt also earned Academic All-WAC honors one season ago.

The academic all-district team was selected by members of CoSIDA from the states of Alaska, Arizona, California, Hawaii, Idaho, Nevada, Oregon, Utah, Washington and the Canadian province of British Columbia. Academic nominees must be at least a sophomore academically, contribute as a starter or significant reserve and maintain at least a 3.30 overall grade point average.

Babbitt will now be placed on the national ballot with the CoSIDA/ESPN the Magazine Academic All-America team being announced later this season. He looks to become the first Wolf Pack men’s basketball student-athlete to earn Academic All-America honors.

He is joined on the District 8 university first team by Kurt Cunningham of Boise State, Nedeljko Golubovic of Fresno State, Tyler Newbold of Utah State and Marc Trasolini of Santa Clara.