West Liberty, W.Va. – On Tuesday afternoon the College Sports Communicator's (CSC) announced the 2023-24 Academic All-District® selections for men's basketball. West Liberty University was represented by Zach Rasile, Finley Woodward, John Korte, and Alek West. CSC recognizes the nation's top student-athletes for their combined performances on the court and in the classrooms. All four of the Hilltopper student-athletes were also named as finalists for the Academic All-America® ballot. All-Americans will be announced April 17, 2024.

Rasile claims his second career CSC Academic All-District® honor as he has posted a 3.95 GPA while majoring in financial planning. The junior guard from McDonald, Ohio, was also named All-MEC Second Team earlier this month after averaging 11.3 points, 2.9 rebounds, 2.0 assists, and 0.8 steals per game while shooting the ball 45.8 percent from the field, 40.0 percent from 3-point range, and was 80.0 percent at the free throw line. He scored in double figures 18 times during the 2023-24 season and reached the 20-point mark in four games, including scoring a career-high 24 points in a home win over West Virginia Wesleyan. In addition, he has grabbed four or more rebounds in 13 games, dished out three or more assists in 11 games, and collected two or more steals in seven games. He was among the top sharpshooters from beyond the arc in the MEC this year as he ranked fourth in total 3-pointers made and was sixth in 3-pointers per game (2.25), knocking down 72-of-180 (40.0%). This season he made a shot from deep in 29 of the 32 games he played in while making two or more in 23 contests and three or more in 11 match-ups.

Woodward receives his first career CSC Academic All-District® honor as he has posted a 3.94 GPA while majoring in criminal justice. The sophomore from Bristol, England, played in all 33 games as he averaged 8.2 points, 4.2 rebounds, 2.5 assists, and 0.7 steals per game while shooting the ball 59.9 percent from the field and 75.0 percent from the free throw line. He scored in double figures in 13 games, which included a career-high of 19 points in a win at Frostburg State as he went 8-of-11 from the field in the contest. Woodward also made his presence known on the glass as he grabbed four or more rebounds in 19 games and secured a career-high of nine boards on two occasions. Additionally, he dished out three or more assists in 16 contests and collected two or more steals five times.

Korte garners his first career CSC Academic All-District® accolade as he posted a 3.86 undergraduate GPA and a 3.85 graduate school GPA while pursuing a master's in education. Additionally, the grad student from Watertown, Massachusetts, earned his second career all-conference honor earlier this month as he was named All-MEC Second Team after averaging 11.7 points, 6.1 rebounds, 2.4 assists, 0.7 steals, and 0.6 blocks per game while shooting the ball 49.0 percent from the field, 33.8 percent from 3-point range, and 81.5 percent from the free throw line. He scored in double figures on 19 occasions, which included three 20-point games and a season-high of 22 points in an MEC Tournament semifinal win over Concord. In addition, he grabbed six or more rebounds in 19 contests and secured double figures three times. He was one of just two Hilltoppers to collect a double-double this season as he did so twice. Korte has also dished out three or more assists in 17 games, collected two or more steals in six games, and recorded two or more blocks in three games. He is among the top free throw shooters in the MEC as he ranks second in free throws made, third in free throw attempts, and is ninth in free throw percentage, going 132-of-162 (81.5%) from the charity stripe.

West also earned his first career CSC Academic All-District® honor as he posted a 3.86 undergraduate GPA and a 3.78 graduate school GPA while pursuing a master's in biology. The senior from Sylvania, Ohio, played in 32 games while making a pair of starts and averaged 8.8 points, 4.3 rebounds, 3.4 assists, and 1.4 steals per game while shooting the ball 44.2 percent from the field, 33.3 percent from 3-point range, and 80.0 percent from the free throw line. He scored in double figures on 14 occasions, which included a pair of 20-point games and a WLU career-high of 25 points in a win over Fairmont State. Tied as the team's second leading rebounder he secured four or more boards in 18 contests. While West's passing was on display, ranking sixth in the MEC with 110 total assists, he also consistently maintained control of the ball as he ranked sixth in DII with a 3.33 assist/turnover ratio on the year. On the defensive side of the ball, he ranked third in the league with 46 total steals, collecting two or more steals in 14 games this season.