Grizzlies earn NABC Team Academic Excellence Award for 3rd straight year; record 5 student-athletes also recognized
7/19/2022 9:14:00 AM | Men's Basketball
KANSAS CITY, Mo. – For the fifth time in the past seven seasons, and third year in a row, Montana was awarded the NABC Team Academic Excellence Award, given annually to collegiate basketball teams who boast a team cumulative grade-point average above 3.0. The NABC – college basketball's governing body – made the announcement on Tuesday morning.
Additionally, the NABC released its list of Honors Court student-athletes, which includes a record five Grizzlies. The NABC Honors Court recognizes junior, senior and graduate student men's basketball players who finished the 2021-22 year with a cumulative GPA of 3.2 or higher. A season ago, the Grizzlies had just one honoree – Bozeman native Mack Anderson – but had several others who met the academic requirement, but were still considered underclassmen.
Recognized on Tuesday was Anderson and Lonnell Martin Jr., in addition to former players Scott Blakney, Freddy Brown III and Kyle Owens. The five honorees were the second-most in the Big Sky. Additionally, the total was the most Montana student-athletes recognized in a single season, passing the previous high of three.
Since the award was created in 2006-07, Montana has had 18 honorees, with more than a quarter of them coming this year. Anderson was honored for the second year in a row, becoming the fifth multi-time selection. Electing to come back for a super-senior season, he will have the opportunity to become Montana's first three-time selection next year.
Montana had another strong year in the classroom as a team, with its student-athletes holding a cumulative team GPA of 3.22 through the 2021-22 academic year. Nine student-athletes earned a 3.0 GPA or higher with six honored this spring on the Big Sky Conference All-Academic team. In March, sophomore Josh Bannan – who was not named to the NABC Honors Court because he was just a sophomore in 2021-22 – was named a CoSIDA Academic All-American, one of 15 men's basketball student-athletes nationally to be recognized and the only sophomore.
Every student-athlete who has finished his career at Montana has earned his degree, giving head coach Travis DeCuire a 100-percent graduation rate.
Additionally, the NABC released its list of Honors Court student-athletes, which includes a record five Grizzlies. The NABC Honors Court recognizes junior, senior and graduate student men's basketball players who finished the 2021-22 year with a cumulative GPA of 3.2 or higher. A season ago, the Grizzlies had just one honoree – Bozeman native Mack Anderson – but had several others who met the academic requirement, but were still considered underclassmen.
Recognized on Tuesday was Anderson and Lonnell Martin Jr., in addition to former players Scott Blakney, Freddy Brown III and Kyle Owens. The five honorees were the second-most in the Big Sky. Additionally, the total was the most Montana student-athletes recognized in a single season, passing the previous high of three.
Since the award was created in 2006-07, Montana has had 18 honorees, with more than a quarter of them coming this year. Anderson was honored for the second year in a row, becoming the fifth multi-time selection. Electing to come back for a super-senior season, he will have the opportunity to become Montana's first three-time selection next year.
Montana had another strong year in the classroom as a team, with its student-athletes holding a cumulative team GPA of 3.22 through the 2021-22 academic year. Nine student-athletes earned a 3.0 GPA or higher with six honored this spring on the Big Sky Conference All-Academic team. In March, sophomore Josh Bannan – who was not named to the NABC Honors Court because he was just a sophomore in 2021-22 – was named a CoSIDA Academic All-American, one of 15 men's basketball student-athletes nationally to be recognized and the only sophomore.
Every student-athlete who has finished his career at Montana has earned his degree, giving head coach Travis DeCuire a 100-percent graduation rate.
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