Senior forward Kahliel Spear of the RMU men's basketball team was named to the 2021-22 Academic All-District® Team Thursday by the College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA). Spear is the first RMU student-athlete to earn District 2 honors since former forward Aaron Thomas (2000-04) during the 2002-03 campaign.

Spear will now advance to the CoSIDA Academic All-America® ballot for national recognition, with honorees announced in March. CoSIDA's District 2 includes student-athletes that compete for institutions from the states of Delaware, Kentucky, Maryland, New Jersey, Pennsylvania and West Virginia as well as the District of Columbia.

One of two Colonials to start each of RMU's 26 games so far during the 2021-22 campaign, Spear, a native of The Colony, Texas, owns a cumulative grade point average (GPA) of 3.92 as an economics major. Joining Spear on the District 2 Team is Justin Betz and CJ Fleming of Bellarmine, Andrew Funk of Bucknell and Davion Mintz of Kentucky.

Spear enters Thursday's game against IUPUI at the UPMC Events Center pacing the Colonials in both scoring (14.4 points per game) and rebounding (7.8 rpg) while leading the Horizon League in field goal percentage at 55.5 percent (152-for-274). Spear has scored in double figures 21 times during the 2021-22 season and also owns seven double-doubles.

In a 73-68 win @ Youngstown State (2/13/22), Spear shot 10-for-11 from the floor, including 3-for-3 from beyond the arc, and 4-for-5 at the free-throw line in scoring a career-high 27 points. He also grabbed seven rebounds and blocked a pair of shots.

Spear ranks fourth in the Horizon League in blocks with an average of 1.19 per game and in two seasons at RMU has posted 54 rejections in 44 contests. He has scored in double figures in each of RMU's five games during the month of February, averaging 19.2 points and 9.8 rebounds during that stretch.

Led by 12th-year head coach Andrew Toole, the Colonials conclude the home portion of their 2021-22 regular season with a pair of games at the UPMC Events Center. RMU hosts IUPUI Thursday for a 7:00 p.m. tip and will also welcome UIC Saturday, Feb. 19, in a 7:00 p.m. tip.