Kotsar Named Candidate for 2019-20 Senior CLASS Award

COLUMBIA, S.C. – South Carolina senior forward Maik Kotsar has been named a candidate for the 2019-20 Senior CLASS award, it was announced on Friday. 

An acronym for Celebrating Loyalty and Achievement for Staying in School ^®, the Senior CLASS Award focuses on the total student-athlete and encourages students to use their platform in athletics to make a positive impact as leaders in their communities. To be eligible for the award, a student-athlete must be classified as an NCAA Division I senior and have notable achievements in four areas of excellence: community, classroom, character and competition.
 
Kotsar holds a strong GPA as a finance major and has earned Dean’s List, AD Honor Roll and SEC Honor Roll accolades during his career at Carolina. The senior, who hails from Tallinn, Estonia, is having the best year of his career statistically in 2019-20, currently averaging 10.1 points per game and a team-high 6.1 rebounds per outing. A key contributor as a freshman on the Gamecocks’ 2017 Final Four squad, Kotsar has started 106 career games, which is good for eighth all-time in program history.  
 
A leader on and off the court, Kotsar has been active in the community during his time at Carolina as well, especially during the team’s 8K Campaign. He has spent time at basketball clinics for children, has visited the Palmetto Children’s Hospital, the Dorn VA Medical Center in Columbia and the Epworth Children’s Home. He has also spent time at Harvest Hope Food Bank and at the Ronald McDonald House among his many outreach efforts.
 
The men’s and women’s candidates will be narrowed to two fields of 10 finalists in February, and those names will be placed on the official ballot. Ballots will be distributed through a nationwide voting system to media, coaches and fans, who will select one male candidate and one female candidate who best exemplifies excellence in the four C’s of community, classroom, character and competition.

­­Men’s Basketball 2019-20 Candidates

 
Click here for the full release from the Senior CLASS Award’s website.
 
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