ITHACA, N.Y. -- Cornell senior forward Shonn Miller has been named a finalist for the Lefty Driesell Award as national Defensive Player of the Year it was announced today by CollegeInsider.com. One of 26 members of the Lefty Driesell All-America team, Miller is the only Ivy League player on the list. The recipient of the 2015 award will be announced at the CollegeInsider.com Awards Banquet on April 3 at the Final Four in Indianapolis, Ind.

Miller, the first player in Cornell history to surpass 100 blocked shots and 100 steals in a career, was the Ivy League leader in defensive rebounds, he ranked sixth nationally (7.53 per game). He ranked second in the Ivy League in scoring (16.8 ppg.), rebounding (8.5 rpg.) and free-throw percentage (.834) and among the top 10 in blocks (fourth, 1.8) and steals (eighth, 1.3) en route to earning unanimous first-team all-league and second-team NABC all-district honors. He ranked in the top 100 nationally in 11 different categories.

A two-time Ivy League Player of the Week, Miller recorded 11 double-doubles on the season and matched a school record with 18 in his three-year career. Miller became the school's seventh player to reach 500 points in a season with his 505 as a season, the first to score 500 points and register 250 rebounds in a season, and the first Cornellian and fifth Ivy player to record 1,000 points, 600 rebounds, 100 blocks and 100 steals in a career.

Miller closed his Cornell career with a flourish, scoring at least 23 points in four of his final five games and averaging 22.0 points and 9.8 rebounds per game over that span. He had three different games of at least 15 rebounds and 12 games with at least 20 points. In just three seasons, he did his best making his mark on the school's record book. He sits in the top 20 all-time in scoring (19th, 1,065), rebounding (14th, 608), steals (11th, 126), blocked shots (fourth, 154), free throws made (13th, 266) and free-throw percentage (18th. .785).

With Miller back in the lineup, Cornell became one of the nation's most improved team. The Big Red improved by a school record 11 wins, improving from two wins to a 13-17 finish that included fifth place in the conference after being picked to place last in the preseason.

---

2015 LEFTY DRIESELL ALL-AMERICA TEAM
Karl-Anthony Towns, Kentucky
Darion Atkins, Virginia
Gary Bell Jr., Gonzaga
Malcolm Brogdon, Virginia
Willie Cauley-Stien, Kentucky
Rakeem Christmas, Syracuse
Kyle Collinsworth, BYU
Tekele Cotton, Wichita State
Demarcus Daniels North Florida
Nnanna Egwu, Illinois
Jerian Grant, Notre Dame
Jelani Hewitt, Georgia Southern
Anthony Hickey, Oklahoma State
Brice Johnson, North Carolina
Reggie Lynch, Illinois State
T.J. McConnell, Arizona
Jordan Mickey, LSU
Shonn Miller, Cornell
Larry Nance, Wyoming
Josh Richardson, Tennessee
Richard Ross, Old Dominion
Justin Tuoyo, Chattanooga
Corey Walden, Eastern Kentucky
Julian Washburn, UTEP
Briante Weber, VCU
Jay Wright, Louisiana-Lafayette