The National Association of Basketball Coaches unveiled its 2025‑26 Team Academic Excellence Awards and NABC Honors Court, spotlighting institutions that meet rigorous scholarly standards while celebrating the sport’s most academically accomplished programs.
Among the honorees, Clarkson University’s men’s basketball team earned a place on the Team Academic Excellence list, a designation reserved for programs that maintain a collective grade point average of 3.0 or higher.
Honors Court Recognition
The NABC Honors Court includes players who achieve a cumulative GPA of 3.2 or above, a benchmark that reflects both sustained scholarly focus and the ability to balance demanding athletic commitments with rigorous coursework.
This year, five members of the Golden Knights roster — Braeden Burns, Steve DeRegis, Tyson Maxam, Ben Phillips and Matt Toscano — joined the Honors Court, underscoring the program’s blend of athletic competitiveness and academic diligence.
Their performances on the court have been matched by classroom achievements, with each student‑athlete maintaining a trajectory that aligns with Clarkson’s emphasis on holistic development and lifelong learning.
A Legacy of Scholarship
The recognition adds to a growing narrative of collegiate programs that prioritize scholarship as a core component of athletic identity, a trend that resonates across the sport’s governing bodies and serves as a model for future teams seeking to excel in both arenas.