Men's Basketball Team Recognized for Academic Excellence

Men's Basketball Team Recognized for Academic Excellence

KANSAS CITY, Mo.-- The Trine men's basketball team has been named a recipient of the 2014-15 National Association of Basketball Coaches Team Academic Award.

To be eligible for the distinction, a team must have achieved a cumulative grade-point average of 3.0 or better. In order to earn a NABC Team Academic Excellence Award, institutions in NCAA Divisions I, II, III, and NAIA Divisions I and II, must count the grade point averages of all men's student-athletes who competed during the 2014-15 season.

Leading the Thunder to this distinction were nine members of the team who earned a 3.30 G.P.A. or better. Six of those team members achieved a 3.60 G.P.A. or higher, including one perfect 4.0. Individuals earning a 3.30 G.P.A. or higher made up 75 percent of the team's performers that counted towards the NABC honor.

A total of 175 schools nationwide received the NABC Team Academic Award, placing Trine in the top 13 percent of all NCAA Divisions I, II, III and NAIA Divisions I and II men's baketball teams in academic performance. There are 1,305 such institutions that sponsor men's basketball as a varsity sport.

The performance in the classroom continues to build on the team's academic performance after the 2013-14 academic year saw the Thunder place four on the MIAA Academic Honor Roll and have their first individual earn recognition on the NABC Honors Court.

The NABC will release its 2014-15 Honors Court Thursday.

Trine concluded the 2014-15 season with its best record as a member of NCAA Division III. The Thunder finished with a 17-9 overall record and placed second in the MIAA. The team produced three All-MIAA performers, including two first-teamers.

Located in Kansas City, Missouri, the NABC was founded in 1927 by Phog Allen, the legendary basketball coach at the University of Kansas. 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.