SEATTLE (Aug. 28) ­ Seattle Pacific University basketball standout Tony Binetti has been named one of eight finalists for the NCAA Division II Scholar-Athlete of the Year Award.

Binetti, who graduated last spring and now plays professionally in Italy, was voted the West Region winner by the Conference Commissioners Association. The award is sponsored by Disney's Wide World of Sports.

Binetti was an All-American and Great Northwest Athletic Conference player of the year. He helped lead the Falcons to the NCAA semifinals and was among the GNAC leaders in five statistical categories. He was also voted GNAC Scholar-Athlete of the Year and received an NCAA Postgraduate Scholarship.

The commissioners from the regions that comprise the Division II basketball alignment selected the regional winners. To be nominated for consideration, a student-athlete must have attained a 3.0 career cumulative grade point average and possess outstanding athletic credentials.

The national winner will be announced in September.