Chambana Sun

Fighting Illini basketball player Marcus Domask has been honored with a place on the 2023-24 Academic All-America first team, as announced by College Sports Communicators (CSC). This recognition marks Domask's second consecutive first-team Academic All-America accolade, having previously received the honor while attending Southern Illinois in the 2022-23 season.

Domask maintains a perfect 4.0 GPA at Illinois, where he is pursuing a master's degree in recreation, sport, and tourism. His academic excellence is further demonstrated by his combined average of 3.95, which includes a 3.94 GPA during his undergraduate studies in sport administration at SIU.

He is the first Fighting Illini player to achieve Academic All-America status since Rob Judson and Steve Lanter were named to the fourth team in 1979. Additionally, Domask is the first from Illinois to be awarded first-team honors since Rick Schmidt accomplished this feat in both 1974 and 1975. In total, Illinois men's basketball has now secured 14 Academic All-America accolades through contributions from 11 different players.

A notable transfer student-athlete, Domask played a pivotal role in Illinois' successful season that saw them win the Big Ten Tournament championship and advance to the NCAA Tournament Elite Eight. His individual achievements include being named a first-team All-Big Ten pick by both coaches and AP, earning all-conference second-team honors from media outlets, and receiving recognition as Big Ten Newcomer of the Year by AP.

Hailing from Waupun, Wisconsin, Domask averaged impressive stats throughout the season: 15.9 points per game alongside 5.0 rebounds and leading with an average of 3.9 assists per game for Illinois. Noteworthy performances include three games scoring over 30 points and achieving a career-high of 33 points against Florida Atlantic at Madison Square Garden on December 5th.

Furthermore, Domask recorded only the tenth triple-double in NCAA Tournament history with his performance against Morehead State during their Round of 64 victory—achieving this milestone with contributions of twelve points, eleven rebounds, and ten assists.

As one of only four active NCAA Division I players with more than two thousand points (2,218), seven hundred fifty-four rebounds (754), and five hundred six assists (506) across his five-year career span—Domask's achievements continue to elevate him within collegiate athletics circles.