Men’s basketball qualifies for NABC award
The National Association of Basketball Coaches (NABC) announced on Wednesday that the John Brown University men’s basketball squad qualified for the Team Academic Excellence Award for the first time in program history. Student-athletes Quintin Bailey and Kiree Hutchings were also named to the 2019-20 Honors Court.
The NABC Team Academic Excellence Award recognizes men’s collegiate basketball programs which excelled in academics during the previous year, posting a minimum team GPA of 3.0 for the recently completed academic year. The NABC Honors Court recognizes men’s collegiate basketball student-athletes who excelled in academics during the past season. In order to be named to the Honors Court, a studentathlete must be a junior or senior and have a cumulative grade-point average of 3.2 or higher.
“I’m so proud of our guys this year and the effort they put into their academics,” head coach Jason Beschta said. “I love seeing our older guys step up to set such a tremendous example for those who will follow them. What a special group of guys getting it done both on the court and in the classroom. Hoping this will be the standard for seasons to come.”
JBU’s pair of Honors Court selections follow up a single-season high of five honorees last year, the most since the Honors Court program began in the 2005-06 season. The Golden Eagles were one of three Sooner Athletic programs to earn the honors, joining Central Christian (Kan.) and Wayland Baptist (Texas). Bailey and Hutchings were two of 10 total SAC men’s basketball student-athletes to rake in the Honors Court selection.
Located in Kansas City, Mo., the NABC founded in 1927 by Phog Allen — the legendary basketball coach at the University of Kansas and a student of James Naismith, the inventor of basketball — organized coaches into this collective group to serve as Guardians of the Game. The NABC currently has nearly 5,000 members consisting primarily of university and college men’s basketball coaches.