CLEVELAND – The Mid-American Conference released its Men's Basketball Academic All-Mac Team on Wednesday with four Broncos from the Western Michigan men's basketball team receiving the academic recognition.

The quartet of Jason Whitens, William Boyer-Richard, Patrick Emilien and Chase Barrs earned Academic All-MAC honors as WMU was one of three schools in the conference to have four student-athletes represented.

The Academic All-MAC honor is for a student-athlete who has excelled in athletics and academics. To qualify, a student-athlete must have at least a 3.20 cumulative GPA and have participated in at least 50 percent of the contests for that particular sport.

It's the second straight year Western Michigan has had at least four players named to the Academic All-MAC team. Since 2000, the Broncos have registered 29 Academic All-MAC selections.

For the second year in a row redshirt junior Jason Whitens earned Academic All-MAC honors after posting a 3.46 GPA in Sales & Marketing. On the court Whitens ranked fourth on the Broncos in points per game and shot 47.2 percent from the field and 88.9 percent from the free-throw line.

Last season Whitens scored in double figures in four games including a career-high 16 on 6-of-9 shooting from the field against Milwaukee on Dec. 13. The Powers, Mich., native played in 19 games last season for WMU, starting 18.

The duo of Patrick Emilien and William Boyer-Richard earned Academic All-MAC honors for the second year in a row. Emilien registered a 3.68 GPA in Marketing and played in 15 games for the Broncos last season averaging 5.2 points and 3.5 rebounds per game. Boyer-Richard earned a 3.87 GPA in finance and on the court had 21 assists to go along with six steals and seven three-pointers.

For the first time in his career Chase Barrs earned Academic All-MAC honors after recording a 3.63 GPA in Business. During the 2020-21 season Barrs appeared in 15 games for the Brown & Gold and shot 40 percent from the field with four assists, two blocks and two steals.