Men's Basketball | 7/29/2021 11:59:00 AM
KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- Barry University men's basketball earned a National Association of Basketball Coaches (NABC) Team Academic Excellence Award after posting a 3.093 GPA for the 2020-21 academic year.
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, with the average being above 3.0.
Four Buccaneers earned spots on the NABC Honor Court. Senior Charlie Francis and juniors TJ Smith, Justinas Marcinkevicius and Andre Alonso were selected.
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.
- Member of a NCAA Division I, II, III, or NAIA Division I institution with a NABC member coach.
Francis carries a 3.266 GPA in history. He is a five-year member of the team.
Marcinkevicius, who was also a Second-Team All-Sunshine State Conference pick, has a 3.224 GPA in international business. He is in his third year.
Smith and Alonso are both in their first season with the Bucs. Smith has a 3.74 GPA as a pre-law major, while Alonso carries a 3.365 GPA in exercise science.
SEE THE FULL HONOR COURT
SEE THE FULL LIST OF TEAM ACADEMIC AWARDS
ABOUT BARRY U BASKETBALL
Barry's men's basketball has been on rise the last several years, going 131-64 and winning three straight Sunshine State Conference championships and advancing to five NCAA Tournaments since 2014. The Bucs have earned 12 All-America awards, 12 All-SSC awards, including three Players of the Year. The won the South Region championships in 2016 and 2018, advancing to the Elite 8 both years.
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 five core values of being a Guardian of the Game are advocacy, leadership, service, education and inclusion. For additional information about the NABC, its programs and membership, go to www.nabc.com.
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