KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- 23 men's basketball players and four programs from the Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association (MIAA) received recognition from the National Association of Basketball Coaches (NABC) for their success in the classroom during the 2020-21 academic year.
The ninth annual Team Academic Excellence Awards recognize outstanding academic achievement by a team with a cumulative grade point average (GPA) of 3.0 or better for the 2020-21 season. To earn a NABC Team Academic Excellence Award, institutions in the NCAA, NAIA and two-year colleges must count the grade point averages of all men’s student-athletes on the basketball roster during the 2020-21 season.
The MIAA programs that earned the Team Academic Excellence Award include Calvin, Hope, Kalamazoo, and Trine.
NABC Team Academic Excellence Awards release
Additionally, 23 men's basketball players were named to the 2020-21 NABC Honors Court.
In order to be named to the Honors Court, a student-athlete must meet a high standard of academic criteria. The qualifications are as follows:
- Academically a junior or senior and a varsity player.
- Cumulative grade point average (GPA) of 3.2 or higher at the conclusion of the 2020-21 academic year.
- Students must have matriculated at least one year at their current institution. 4. Member of a NCAA Division I, II, III, or NAIA Division I institution with a NABC member coach.
MIAA Student-Athletes Recognized by NABC
Albion - Caden Ebeling, Jared Fife, Juwan Perry, Beni Zeka
Calvin - Jack Calahane, Caleb Cleary, Jordan Katje, Nathaniel Minderhoud, Thad Shymanski, Jacob Williams
Hope - Danny Beckman, Jeff Bikus, Ryan Gamm, Preston Granger, Ty George, Sam Vree, Cal Hackert
Kalamazoo - Thomas Cook, Calder Pellerin, Jack Smith
Trine - Nick Bowman, Griffin Lorimer, Bryce Williams
