The National Association of Basketball Coaches (NABC) announced its yearly academic awards on Wednesday, honoring programs and student‑athletes that combine athletic competition with scholarly achievement.
Awards that Celebrate Scholarship
The NABC Team Academic Excellence Award recognizes programs that post a collective team GPA of 3.0 or higher, while the NABC Honors Court includes junior, senior and graduate men’s basketball players who maintain a cumulative GPA of 3.2 or above.
Iowa State’s seven honorees — Blake Buchanan, Cade Kelderman, Eric Mulder, Mason Williams, Milan Momcilovic, Nate Heise and Tamin Lipsey — were the most selections from any Big 12 school, underscoring the program’s academic depth.
Repeat Honorees
Heise, Kelderman, Lipsey and Mulder earned the distinction for the second consecutive year, joining an exclusive group of Cyclones who have sustained academic excellence across multiple seasons.
The Cyclones’ collective GPA topped the conference, reinforcing the team’s reputation as a model of balance between basketball performance and classroom rigor.
Beyond the individual accolades, the recognition highlights the university’s commitment to fostering student‑athletes who excel in both arenas, a narrative that resonates throughout the league and beyond.