Forty-Five Clemson Student-Athletes Receive Degrees

May 12, 2006

Forty-five Clemson student-athletes received academic degrees during two separate graduation ceremonies at Littlejohn Coliseum on Friday.

The list of graduates includes all three seniors on the Clemson men’s basketball team. It marked the first time since May of 1991 that at least three Clemson basketball players graduated on the same day. Shawan Robinson, Akin Akingbala and Steve Allen, who all helped Clemson to 19 victories and the second round of the NIT, received degrees Friday.

Robinson posted a perfect 4.0 for the second semester in elementary education and will become the first Clemson basketball player in history to be named to the ACC’s Academic All-ACC team four consecutive years.

Four Clemson football players earned degrees on Friday, including still eligible players Brandon Cannon and Cole Chason. Clemson’s football graduation rate for a four-year period in an NCAA release last December ranked second in the nation among top 25 teams behind only Notre Dame.

Current Tiger baseball players Sean Clark, Herman Demmink and Josh Cribb graduated on Friday. Demmink is Clemson’s starting designated hitter and Cribb will be Clemson’s starting pitcher against Florida State on Saturday afternoon. Former Tiger baseball players Zane Green and Ryan Mottl also graduated on Friday.

The list of Tiger graduates also included the three seniors on the Clemson men’s golf team, including Brian Duncan and Stephen Poole, who will be competing for the Tigers in the NCAA Central Regional starting next Thursday.

Twenty women’s student-athletes graduated on Friday. The list featured eight members of the Clemson women’s swimming team, including All-America and ACC Champion swimmer Kim Routh.