For the second consecutive year, the BIG EAST Male Scholar-Athlete of the Year, Presented by Sunkist, came from the Butler men's soccer program. This year's award went to BIG EAST Goalkeeper of the Year Eric Dick. Dick will receive a $4,000 scholarship, which may be applied to graduate or professional studies. The selection was made by the Conference's Academic Affairs Committee and was announced by the Conference on Thursday.
 
The Conference also announced the male winners of the 2017-18 BIG EAST Institutional Scholar-Athlete Scholarships, Presented by Sunkist. Each institutional winner receives $2,000 toward graduate studies.
 
Three of the men's institutional winners were from men's soccer teams. In the last two years, eight men's soccer players have been honored.
 
Dick led the 2017 Bulldogs to a 14-5-2 overall record, a BIG EAST regular season championship, and an appearance in the NCAA Third Round. That postseason run matched the best finish in program history. The 6-5 goalkeeper earned first-team NCAA Division I All-America accolades as well as being named the BIG EAST Goalkeeper of the Year. The All-BIG EAST First Team honoree had a BIG EAST-best nine shutouts on the season, posting a 0.97 goals against average and .820 save percentage. Dick's nine shutouts were the most in a single season, while his 28 career clean sheets are also a Butler best. In 2016, Dick helped Butler to a BIG EAST Tournament championship title and was named the BIG EAST Championship Most Outstanding Defensive Player. In mid-January, Dick was selected 13th overall in the MLS SuperDraft, the highest pick this season of a BIG EAST player.
 
Academically, Dick was named a first team United Soccer Coaches Scholar All-American after earning first team Scholar All-Great Lakes Region accolades. He was named to the BIG EAST All-Academic Team four straight years  and is a member of the Butler Athletic Director's Honor Roll. He boasts an undergraduate cumulative GPA of 3.376 as he majors in Science, Technology and Society.
 
Off the pitch, Dick, a native of Carmel, Ind., has volunteered with the Salvation Army during the Christmas season and worked for the midnight run in Portland, Oregon, during his Summer PDL season. He has also dedicated hours of volunteer work alongside his Butler teammates at Star Soccer.
 
The BIG EAST Male Scholar-Athlete of the Year was announced in conjunction with the BIG EAST Female Scholar-Athlete of the Year. The BIG EAST Female Scholar-Athlete of the Year was from Seton Hall University, Alexis Walkden, a softball player. The conference will also announce a Women's Basketball Scholar-Athlete of the Year on Feb. 27, preceding the league's tournament. The Men's Basketball Scholar-Athlete of the Year will be announced at the awards press conference on March 7 at Madison Square Garden, preceding the Men's Basketball Tournament.
 
Twenty student-athletes (one male and one female from each of the BIG EAST's 10 member institutions) will be named as BIG EAST Institutional Scholar-Athlete award winners.
 
2017-18 BIG EAST Institutional Male Scholar-Athlete Awards Presented by Sunkist
 

School	Name, Sport(s)
Butler	Eric Dick, Men's Soccer
Creighton	Mitch LaGro, Men's Soccer
DePaul	Jake Pecorin, Men's Cross Country
Georgetown	Sam Madsen, Men's Golf
Marquette	Alex Halloway, Men's Track & Field
Providence	Colin Miller, Men's Soccer
St. John's	Josh Shaw, Baseball
Seton Hall	Noah Yachulis, Men's Swimming & Diving
Villanova	Ben Malone, Men's Track & Field
Xavier	Alex Wolfred, Men's Swimming & Diving

 
BIG EAST Male Scholar-Athletes Of The Year Presented by Sunkist
 

Year	Name, School, Sport
1985	Joey David, Pittsburgh, Basketball
1986	John Prior, Connecticut, Track & Field
1987	Harold Jensen, Villanova, Basketball
1988	Dave Echeverria, Villanova, Swimming & Diving
1989	Chris Craft, Villanova, Swimming & Diving
1990	Pat O'Kelly, Seton Hall, Soccer
1991	David Honor, St. John's, Baseball
1992	Steve Holman, Georgetown, Track & Field
1993	Hector Zamora, Seton Hall, Soccer
1994	Sebastien Goulet, Swimming, Syracuse
1995	Kevin Lyles, Seton Hall, Track & Field
1996	Gil Kovalski, Miami, Tennis
1997	Christian Fogarazzo, St. John's, Track & Field
1998	Errol Williams, Notre Dame, Track & Field
1999	Angelo Ciminiello, Providence, Baseball
2000	Scott VanEpps, Pittsburgh, Swimming & Diving
2001	Chris Hamblin, Boston College, Soccer
2002	Gregory Strohmann, Seton Hall, Soccer
2003	Casey Schmidt, Boston College, Soccer
2004	Chris Wingert, St. John's, Soccer
2005	Guy Melamed, Boston College, Soccer
2006	Trevor O'Grady, Rutgers, Track & Field
2007	Drew Eckman, Villanova, Track & Field
2008	Jeremy Stultz, Pittsburgh, Swimming & Diving
2009	Zak Boggs, USF, Soccer
2010	Francisco Aristeguieta, USF, Soccer
2011	Brian Karalunas, Villanova, Lacrosse
2012	Eric Finan, Cincinnati, Cross Country/Track & Field
2013	Grant Van De Casteele, Notre Dame, Soccer
2014	Charles Lyon, Marquette, Soccer
2015	Sam McEntee, Villanova, Cross Country/Track & Field
2016	Thomas Hackimer, St. John's, Baseball
2017	David Goldsmith, Butler, Soccer
2018	Eric Dick, Butler, Soccer