Men’s Basketball Earns NABC Honors
KANSAS CITY, Mo. – The National Association of Basketball Coaches (NABC) announced the recipients of the 2023-24 NABC Team Academic Excellence Awards and NABC Honors Court on Monday afternoon, representing outstanding achievement in the classroom by men's college basketball teams and student-athletes.
For the fourth time in program history, the Mitchell College men's basketball team received the NABC Team Academic Excellence Award, while five Mariner student-athletes were also recognized. Dontae Pollard (Fort Walton Beach, Fla.) earned the honor for the second time in his collegiate career, while Aidan Jacobson (Branford, Conn.), Noah James (New London, Conn.), Robert Zirlis (Clinton, Conn.), and Wilton Causey (Worcester, Mass.) were each first time recipients. Pollard becomes the sixth Mitchell player to earn the distinction twice, joining Tyler Peretz, Domenico Santiago, Matt Finke, Ahmani Browne, and Samuel Jackson.
The NABC Team Academic Excellence Awards recognize men's basketball programs that completed the 2023-24 academic year with a team GPA of 3.0 or higher. The NABC Honors Court, meanwhile, includes junior, senior and graduate student men's basketball players who finished the 2023-24 year with a cumulative GPA of 3.2 or higher.
"I am very proud that our players continue to perform at such a high level in the classroom and on the court," said head men's basketball coach, Todd Peretz. "Balancing academics and athletics requires a strong commitment and self-discipline that paves the way to be successful in both venues."
The NABC's academic awards recognize teams and athletes from all levels of college basketball.
"The NABC is proud to celebrate these accomplished student-athletes, along with the coaches and staff who champion success in the classroom," said NABC Executive Director Craig Robinson. "Education is a core value of the NABC, and the teams and athletes who earned these awards are proof that academic achievement remains a priority across every level of our sport."
Over 2,100 players earned spots on the NABC Honors Court and over 360 programs received NABC Team Academic Excellence Awards for 2023-24. A full list of Honors Court recipients is available by clicking here.
About the National Association of Basketball Coaches (NABC)
Located in Kansas City, Missouri, the NABC was founded in 1927 by Phog Allen, the legendary basketball coach at the University of Kansas. Allen, 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. All members of the NABC are expected to uphold the core values of being a Guardian of the Game by bringing attention to the positive aspects of the sport of basketball and the role coaches play in the academic and athletic lives of today's student-athletes. The four core values of being a Guardian of the Game are advocacy, leadership, service and education. For additional information about the NABC, its programs and membership, go to www.nabc.org.
