OVERLAND PARK, Kan. – Virginia Tech's Justyn Mutts has been selected as a candidate for the 2021-22 Senior CLASS Award, as announced Tuesday.
An acronym for Celebrating Loyalty and Achievement for Staying in School®, the Senior CLASS Award focuses on the total student-athlete and encourages students to use their platform in athletics to make a positive impact as leaders in their communities.
Mutts, a graduate student from Millville, N.J., was named one of 30 NCAA Division I men's basketball student-athletes in contention for the award. The Senior CLASS Award recognizes seniors that have notable achievements in four areas of excellence: community, classroom, character and competition.
From the list of 30 candidates, a committee will select 10 finalists for the Senior CLASS Award in February. Those 10 names will then be placed on the official ballot for a nationwide vote. Fan balloting will be coupled with votes from coaches and media to determine the recipient of the award.
After graduating from Delaware in May 2020, Mutts transferred to Virginia Tech ahead of the 2020-21 season. The 6-foot-7 forward started in 21 of the Hokies' 22 games last season that culminated with Tech advancing to the NCAA Tournament for the fourth straight time.
Through nine games this season, Mutts is averaging 10.3 points, 7.1 rebounds and three assists per game. He leads the team in rebounds (64) and his .526 field-goal percentage leads all starters. In Virginia Tech's 62-58 win on the road at Maryland, Mutts had a season-high 16 points.
Mutts, who was named a team captain this season, has been active in MY Turn – a non-profit started by head coach Mike Young that focuses on bully prevention. During the 2021 NCAA Tournament, Mutts took time out of his schedule to read to local elementary school kids over Zoom. In addition, Mutts assisted with wrapping and delivering Christmas gifts for local women's resource centers the past two Decembers.
Already possessing an undergraduate degree in Psychology (Delaware) and a Master's degree in Agricultural and Life Sciences (Virginia Tech), Mutts is in pursuit of a second Master's in Educational Psychology, Curriculum, and Instruction, which he will complete in the spring.
For more information on the Senior CLASS Award and a full list of candidates, see here.