A Celebration of Classroom Excellence
The National Association of Basketball Coaches (NABC) unveiled its 2025‑26 Team Academic Excellence Awards and NABC Honors Court this week, spotlighting the academic accomplishments of men’s college basketball programs across the country.
To earn a Team Academic Excellence Award, a program must maintain a collective grade point average of at least 3.0 across its roster, while individual honorees on the Honors Court are required to carry a cumulative GPA of 3.2 or higher.
Among the recognized students are Eastern Illinois University seniors Andrew Austin, Kooper Jacobi and Andre Washington, each of whom has distinguished himself both on the hardwood and in the classroom.
Austin, a senior majoring in Engineering Technology, exemplifies the blend of technical rigor and athletic commitment that the NABC seeks to honor. Jacobi and Washington, meanwhile, are pursuing graduate degrees in Sports Management, underscoring the university’s emphasis on developing well‑rounded leaders.
NABC Executive Director Craig Robinson emphasized the importance of celebrating these achievements, stating that “the dedication displayed in the classroom is a reflection of the discipline and teamwork that defines successful basketball programs.”
The awards, presented annually, recognize more than 400 programs for their team GPA performance and over 2,300 student‑athletes who earn a place on the Honors Court each year.
Eastern Illinois’ inclusion in this distinguished group reinforces the university’s growing reputation for academic excellence within its athletic department, aligning with broader institutional goals of integrating scholarship with competition.
The NABC’s acknowledgment also serves as a reminder that success in college basketball is measured not only by wins and losses but also by the academic progress of its participants, a metric that continues to gain prominence in the sport’s evolving landscape.