STANDISH, ME – The National Association of Basketball Coaches (NABC) today announced the 2013-14 NABC Honors Court, recognizing those men's collegiate basketball student-athletes who excelled in academics during the past season. The NABC Honors Court recognizes the talents and gifts that these men possess off the court and the hard work they exhibit in the classroom. Four Saint Joseph's College men's basketball players have collected the national academic accolade.
James Philbrook (Auburn, Maine), Nicholas Jobin (Westbrook, Maine) and Matthew Medeiros (Westport, Mass.) have been honored by the NABC for academic excellence for the second-consecutive season while rising senior Steve Simonds (Steep Falls, Maine) has claimed NABC honors for the first time. All four players also collected Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) All-Academic Team honors following the completion of the 2013-14 academic year.
The NABC Honors Court recognized the talents and gifts that these men possess off the court and the hard work they exhibit in the classroom. In order to receive the academic award, a player must have reached junior or senior academic status, possess a cumulative G.P.A. of 3.2 or higher at the conclusion of the 2013-14 academic year, and have played at least one year at their current NCAA DI, DII, DIII or NAIA institution.
Overall, 916 college players from 346 total institutions have earned the NABC Honors Court award this year. Philbrook, Jobin, Medeiros and Simonds are the only four players from the Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) to earn the award.
NABC RELEASE (Includes list of recipients)
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 four core values of being a Guardian of the Game are advocacy, leadership, service and education. For additional information about the NABC, its programs and membership, go to www.nabc.org.
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Saint Joseph's College is Maine's only Catholic liberal arts college, providing a supportive, personalized and career-focused education for more than 100 years. From its 430-acre campus on the shores of Sebago Lake, the College offers more than 40 undergraduate programs to a population of approximately 1,000 students. Saint Joseph's College Online provides certificates, undergraduate and advanced degrees for working adults through an online learning program. For more, visit www.sjcme.edu.
