Six UOlivet basketball players earn CSC Academic All-District® honors

OLIVET, Mich. – Six student-athletes from The University of Olivet men's and women's basketball teams have been selected to the 2025-26 College Sports Communicators (CSC) Academic All-District® team. The honorees are junior Conner Schipper and sophomores Sam Howard, Porter Kretschman and Mike Okello from the men's team, and senior Kinsley Hatfield and junior Kaylee Bush from the women's team. Schipper and Hatfield are now two-time honorees.

To be selected to the Academic All-District® team, the player must have a 3.50 or higher cumulative grade point average and started in 90 percent of the team's games OR played in 66 percent of the team's games. Each school was also limited to four nominations per gender.

Schipper, a sports and recreation management major, played in 23 games this season, averaging 11.1 points and 6.2 rebounds per game. He blocked a team-high 55 shots. An All-Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association (MIAA) First Team selection, Schipper's single-game scoring high was 22 points against Washington University-St. Louis (Mo.).

Howard, an exercise science major, saw action in 24 games. He posted an 8.7 scoring average, while ranking second on the team with 30 three-pointers. Howard's single-game scoring high was 25 points (with seven three-pointers) in an 89-77 win over Trine University (Ind.).

Kretschman, an exercise science major, started all 26 games for the Comets. He averaged a team-best 9.2 points and was fourth with a 10.4 scoring average. An All-MIAA Second Team pick, Kretschman's best game was a 19 point and 17 rebound performance in a 78-64 win at Adrian College.

Okello, an insurance & risk management major, played in every game. He averaged 6.7 points and 4.8 rebounds per game. Twice, Okello scored 16 points and in both games, he made 8-of-10 baskets.

Hatfield, a psychology major, started in each of Olivet's 25 games. She averaged a team-best 10.2 points per game and drained a team-leading 29 three-pointers. Hatfield's single-game scoring high was a career-high 24 points in a loss at Saint Mary's College (Ind.). She finished her Olivet career by playing in the second-most games (101).

Bush, a business management major, started 22-of-23 games. She posted a 7.8 scoring average and 4.1 rebounding average. Bush's single-game scoring high was 17 points in a loss at Albion College.

Following a vetting process by a national committee, Schipper is the only UOlivet student-athlete who will advance to the Academic All-America® ballot to be voted on by CSC members. First-, second- and third-team Academic All-America® honorees will be announced April 14, 2026.

The CSC Academic All-America® program separately recognizes men's and women's basketball honorees in four divisions — NCAA Division I, NCAA Division II, NCAA Division III and NAIA. The Division III CSC Academic All-America® programs are partially financially supported by the NCAA Division III national governance structures to assist CSC with handling the awards fulfillment aspects for the 2024-25 Division III Academic All-America® programs. For more information about CSC Academic All-District® and Academic All-America® Teams program, visit www.academicallamerica.com.