Wichita State’s VanVleet, Kansas’ Ellis among Senior CLASS nominees

Wichita State’s Fred VanVleet and Kansas’ Perry Ellis are among the 30 male selected as candidates for the collegiate basketball Senior CLASS award for 2015-16.

The award is open to NCAA Division I seniors with “notable achievements in community, classroom, character and competition.” The list of 30 will be narrowed to 10 finalists in February for nationwide voting. The winners, male and female, will be announced during the Final Four for both sports.

Evansville’s Egidijus Mockevicius and Oklahoma’s Buddy Hield are also on the list.

VanVleet, from Rockford, Ill., spoke at his high school graduation in 2014. His interest and example in guiding and providing a role model for his home town is a constant goal. He also helps with numerous service projects at WSU, including speaking at schools, talking with inner-city youth and Kansas Kids.

Ellis, from Wichita, earned 2014-15 Big 12 men’s basketball Scholar-Athlete of the Year honors and is a regular on the Big 12 and Kansas academic honor roll. He received the 2015 Danny Manning Mr. Jayhawk Award for leadership.

This story was originally published January 21, 2016 at 8:57 AM with the headline "Wichita State’s VanVleet, Kansas’ Ellis among Senior CLASS nominees."