TOLEDO, Ohio — Senior Jordan Lauf, sophomore Nate Navigato, sophomore Jaelan Sanford and redshirt freshman Luke Knapke have been named to the 2016-17 Academic All-Mid-American Conference Team, the league office announced on Wednesday. A total of 17 student-athletes were selected to the team from this past season.
    
     Toledo led this year's squad with four student-athletes, while Eastern Michigan followed close behind with three honorees. Lauf was selected to the academic squad for a third time, while Knapke, Navigato and Sanford are first-time recipients.
 
     A business management major with a 3.310 GPA, Lauf paced the Rockets with a 59.0 field-goal percentage this season and ranked second on the team with a career-best 6.2 rpg and 75 offensive boards. The Rockets' two-time captain started 33 of 34 contests and averaged a career-high 8.3 ppg in a career-best 33.6 mpg en route to playing in a school-record 133 games in his collegiate career. A Napoleon, Ohio native, Lauf tallied a career-high 17 points and eight rebounds at Eastern Michigan (Feb. 7) and also tallied his second career double-double with 16 points and a career-best 14 rebounds vs. Central Michigan (Feb. 24).
   
     Navigato, who possesses a 3.373 GPA in business, started eight of 34 games played and averaged 9.5 ppg and 2.9 rpg. The Geneva, IL native led the Rockets with a 40.8 three-point field-goal percentage in 27.8 mpg and topped the MAC in league play with a 49.5 three-point field-goal percentage, a total that ranks second in UT history. Navigato registered career highs in points (22), assists (7) and minutes (37) and tied his career high with six treys (in eight attempts) vs. Bowling Green (Jan. 17).
 
     A management major with a 3.219 GPA, Sanford ranked third in team scoring with 13.6 ppg and played a team-best 35.9 mpg while starting all 34 contests. The Evansville, Ind. native ranked second on the team with a 39.2 three-point field-goal percentage and was fourth in MAC play with a 44.4 3PTFG%. Sanford poured in a career-high 29 points (9-of-14 FG, 4-of-7 3FG) vs. Northern Illinois (Jan. 28) in addition to scoring a team-high 25 points vs. George Washington in the CBI Invitational (March 15).
 
     Knapke holds a 3.694 GPA in accounting and started in 19 of 34 games in his first season at the collegiate level. A Maria Stein, Ohio native, Knapke averaged 6.9 ppg and 4.2 rpg and ranked second on the team with a 58.6 field-goal percentage. He tallied season highs in points (19) and minutes (40) to go along with seven rebounds, three assists and two blocked shots vs. Evansville (Nov. 25) in addition to registering 18 points and five boards with four treys (in five attempts) at Ball State (Jan. 31).
 
     The Academic All-MAC honor is for a student-athlete who has excelled in athletics and academics. To qualify, a student-athlete must have at least a 3.20 cumulative GPA and have participated in at least 50 percent of the contests.
 
2016-17 Men's Basketball Academic All-MAC Team
Jordan Lauf, Toledo, Senior, Business Management, 3.310 GPA
Jaelan Sanford, Toledo, Sophomore, Management, 3.219 GPA
Nate Navigato, Toledo, Sophomore, Business, 3.373 GPA
Luke Knapke, Toledo, Redshirt Freshman, Accounting, 3.694 GPA
Josh Williams, Akron, Sophomore, Sports Management, 3.268 GPA
Sean Sellers, Ball State, Junior, Sport Administration, 3.567 GPA
Nikola Rakicevic, Buffalo, Sophomore, Management, 3.720 GPA
Blake Hibbits, Central Michigan, Graduate, Masters of Business Administration, 3.83 GPA
Luke Meyer, Central Michigan, Junior, Product Design Engineering Technology, 3.26 GPA
Blake Brown, Eastern Michigan, R-Sophomore, Electronic Media and Film, 3.20 GPA
Nick Madray, Eastern Michigan, R-Junior, Sport Management, 3.70 GPA
James Thompson IV, Eastern Michigan, Sophomore, Biology, 3.22 GPA
Jake Wright, Miami, Junior, Sport Leadership and Management, 3.20 GPA
Austin Pauga, Northern Illinois, Sophomore, Mechanical Engineering, 3.782 GPA
Gavin Block, Ohio, Sophomore, Communication Studies, 3.276 GPA
Seth Dugan, Western Michigan, Sophomore, Finance, 3.94 GPA
Bryce Moore, Western Michigan, Sophomore, Business, 3.37 GPA