FOREST, Va. -- Following the spring ODAC Board of Directors meetings, the winner of the prestigious Harry G. "Doc" Jopson Award has been announced by the conference office, with Roanoke men's basketball standout Kasey Draper has been awarded the ODAC's highest honor.
"In my experience, it wasn't how my athletic career impacted my academic career, it was more about how the two coincided because I cared about and prioritized them equally, so the two bounced off one another and shaped me into the person I am today," explained Draper in a written statement as part of his nomination for the Jopson Award.
Draper has experience with multi-tiered awards. Earlier this season, the Roanoke-native was one of 10 finalists for the men's Jostens Trophy, an award developed by the Rotary Club of Salem, Va., with Jostens Inc. that honors the top men's and women's basketball scholar-athletes in Division III.
Roanoke's Class of 2023 Valedictorian earned numerous honors in his pursuit of a business administration degree with a concentration in marketing and a minor in Spanish. He received the Powell Scholarship Award for Business as well as the Dr. William A. Sandridge Leadership Award, John Todd Faw Memorial Award, and Business Advisory Board Award as major honors from Roanoke College. He is a two-time ODAC/Virginia Farm Bureau Insurance Scholar-Athlete of the Year for men's basketball in addition to two selections to the CSC Academic All-America First Team. He will soon earn his fourth appointment to the ODAC All-Academic Team to go with eight semesters of Roanoke President's List achievements.
Draper maintained a 4.00 grade point average in his classroom work. He is a member of numerous honor societies including Omicron Delta Kappa (leadership), Alpha Lambda Delta (first-year academic excellence), Delta Mu Delta (business), Xi Theta Chi (languages, cultures, and civilizations), and Sigma Delta Pi (Hispanic).
Campus and community activity is a central focus for Draper, evidenced by earning Roanoke's Paul W. Rice Award presented to the senior student-athlete who has made significant contributions to campus life. He is a founder and leader with Young Life, a Christian ministry that reaches out to middle school, high school, and college students around the world. He has served as a Maroon Ambassador, member of the Student President Search Committee, and as a program mentor for "Joy of Reading" at West Salem Elementary. He has been a guest speaker at Northside High School and a volunteer and guest speaker at Exercise Skill Development Camp. He has helped with Appalachian Outreach Missionary and Habitat for Humanity RC Home Construction.
"Kasey is the consummate student-athlete," expressed Clay Nunley, head coach for Roanoke men's basketball. "For four years, he applied himself as a person, a student, and a basketball player to the very best of his abilities. His outstanding and unique accomplishments are a testament to that. Kasey is an impactful leader and a person of uncompromising character and integrity. He was a privilege to coach and leaves Roanoke with a remarkable career of which to be proud."
On the basketball court, Draper was a three-time All-ODAC First Team selection and two-time honoree as the Roanoke College Male Athlete of the Year. He was a three-year captain for the Maroons and earned multiple tournament honors including MVP laurels at the 2022 Cregger Tip-Off and Dick Leftwich tournaments. Draper graduated having scored 1,521 points with 543 rebounds and 117 assists in four seasons covering 92 games with 84 starts. He averaged double figures in points in each season highlighted by 20.5 points per game and 554 total points in 2021-22, both second in the conference.
