Missouri junior forward Laurence Bowers was named a Community Champion, as announced by the Big 12 Conference Wednesday. Bowers, a standout on Missouri’s Men’s Basketball team, has been a visible presence in the Columbia community since his arrival before the 2008-09 campaign.

To be named to the Community of Champions list a student-athlete must maintain a standard grade point average of at least 3.0, be active in at least one community service program and demonstrate leadership and sportsmanship on and off the playing field.

Bowers has been active in numerous community service projects while at Mizzou, from team-orchestrated camps and clinics, to mentoring programs and Read-A-Thons.

On the court Bowers ranks among team and league leaders in several categories. He leads the club in blocked shots (51), and also ranks third in scoring (10.9), second in rebounding (5.7) and second in field goal percentage (.529).

Bowers and the Tigers (20-6, 6-5 Big 12) return to action on Saturday afternoon at Iowa State. The game will be televised on the Big 12 Network at 12:47 p.m.