MERCED, Calif. - University of California, Merced men's basketball players Jaron Mertle, Aidan Sevilla, Cameron Brown, and Tiler Fears have been named to the CSC Academic All-District Team, as announced earlier this week.
The 2024-25 Academic All-District® Men's Basketball Teams, selected by College Sports Communicators, recognize the nation's top student-athletes for their combined performances on the court and in the classroom.
Mertle led the Cal Pac with 187 rebounds and became UC Merced's all-time leading rebounder finishing his career with 683 total boards. He started all 27 games for the Bobcats in his final year. Along with his rebounding numbers, Mertle averaged 8.0 PPG while shooting 53% from the floor and 40% from three-point range. He also had either a block or a steal a game. The Bobcats NAIA First Round game marked the 100th game of his career. Mertle is earning his masters degree in management of innovation, sustainability, and technology.
Sevilla led the Cal Pac with 89 assists in his senior year, the most by any Bobcat since 2020. He was also named the Cal Pac Defensive Player of the Year after anchoring the second-ranked scoring defense in the NAIA. Sevilla finished with 25 steals. Also of note, Sevilla scored 8.3 PPG and connected on 28 three-pointers while shooting 40% from downtown. He started 22 of the Bobcats 27 games. Sevilla is majoring in management and business economics.
Brown, recently named Cal Pac Player of the Year, led the Bobcats and finished second in the league with 14.9 points per game. He was also second in the Cal Pac with 34 steals and finished second on the Bobcats with 5.1 rebounds per game and 2.0 assists per game. Brown scored in double-digits 21 times, including in 14 games in a row in the middle part of the season. He started all 27 contests for UC Merced. Entering his senior year, Brown is ranked fourth in program history with 981 career points and 100 career steals. Brown is majoring in management and business economics.
Fears played all 27 games for the Bobcats and finished top five on the team with 33 assists and 21 steals. He averaged 6.6 points per game and ranked second in the Cal Pac with an 86.7 free throw percentage. He made 72 free throws, and his free throw percentage marked the third highest by any Bobcat in program history. Fears, who finished fifth in program history with 103 career games played, is in the extension program after already earning a bachelor's degree and a master's degree from UC Merced.
Fears and Mertle both made the CSC Academic All-District Team for the third time in their career.
To be eligible, student-athletes must maintain a cumulative GPA of 3.5 or higher while playing in at least 90% of the games or starting 66% of the games.
Brown and Sevilla advance to the Academic All-America ballot that will be voted on later this spring.
