K-State Earns NABC Team Academic Excellence Award
Jul 16, 2020 | Men's Basketball
MANHATTAN, Kan. – Kansas State was rewarded for an outstanding year in the classroom, as the Wildcats earned the 2019-20 National Association of Basketball Coaches (NABC) Team Academic Excellence Award in an announcement by the organization on Thursday (July 16).
Each year, the NABC recognizes men's basketball programs across all levels (NCAA Division I, II and III, NAIA Divisions and community colleges) with the Team Academic Excellence Award for excelling in academics during the athletics year. To be eligible for the honor, a team must achieve a cumulative GPA of 3.0 or better.
"I'm extremely proud of our guys for their efforts in the classroom," said head coach Bruce Weber. "Obviously, this has been a challenging academic environment for our players and I can't thank them enough for their hard work. Many thanks to Mike (Furlong) on our staff as well as Maryclare (Wheeler), Liane (Fowler) and many other members of the student-athlete services department for the support and dedication they give to our players."
K-State was one of a selected number of teams from power conferences to earn the honor in 2019-20, including one of four schools (Oklahoma State, Texas and West Virginia) from the Big 12. It also marked the first time that the Wildcats have been selected for the honor since the award's inception in 2012-13.
The accolade capped another solid academic year for K-State in 2019-20, as three players (Cartier Diarra, Pierson McAtee and Mike McGuirl) were selected to the 2020 Academic All-Big 12 Team, sophomore DaJuan Gordon was named to the 2020 Academic All-Big 12 Rookie Team and players combined to place 20 times on the Fall 2019 and Spring 2020 Big 12 Commissioner's Honor Rolls, including a program-best 12 this past spring.
In addition to Weber and the coaching staff, several individuals play a pivotal role in the support of men's basketball academic excellence, including director of student-athlete development Mike Furlong, academic counselor Maryclare Wheeler, director of specialized learning Liane Fowler, assistant director of specialized learning Jana Buehler and learning specialist Rebekah Thornton-Savage.
The Wildcats have shined off the basketball court during Weber's tenure, as 16 student-athletes have earned Academic All-Big 12 recognition a total of 23 times, while players have combined to appear on the Big 12 Commissioner's Honor Roll 126 times since 2012. The program has had at least two Academic All-Big 12 selections in seven of Weber's eight seasons, including a school-record five Academic All-Big 12 selections (with a school-best four First Team honorees) in 2017. Two players – Austin Budke (2017) and Pierson McAtee (2019) – have earned the Dr. Gerald Lage Academic Achievement Award, which is the Big 12's highest academic honor.
Four players – Cartier Diarra, James Love III, Makol Mawien and Xavier Sneed – earned their bachelor's degrees from K-State in June, while Pierson McAtee completed his Master's degree. Since 2007, 39 of 40 men's basketball players have collected their undergraduate degrees, including 28 under Weber.
Each year, the NABC recognizes men's basketball programs across all levels (NCAA Division I, II and III, NAIA Divisions and community colleges) with the Team Academic Excellence Award for excelling in academics during the athletics year. To be eligible for the honor, a team must achieve a cumulative GPA of 3.0 or better.
"I'm extremely proud of our guys for their efforts in the classroom," said head coach Bruce Weber. "Obviously, this has been a challenging academic environment for our players and I can't thank them enough for their hard work. Many thanks to Mike (Furlong) on our staff as well as Maryclare (Wheeler), Liane (Fowler) and many other members of the student-athlete services department for the support and dedication they give to our players."
K-State was one of a selected number of teams from power conferences to earn the honor in 2019-20, including one of four schools (Oklahoma State, Texas and West Virginia) from the Big 12. It also marked the first time that the Wildcats have been selected for the honor since the award's inception in 2012-13.
The accolade capped another solid academic year for K-State in 2019-20, as three players (Cartier Diarra, Pierson McAtee and Mike McGuirl) were selected to the 2020 Academic All-Big 12 Team, sophomore DaJuan Gordon was named to the 2020 Academic All-Big 12 Rookie Team and players combined to place 20 times on the Fall 2019 and Spring 2020 Big 12 Commissioner's Honor Rolls, including a program-best 12 this past spring.
In addition to Weber and the coaching staff, several individuals play a pivotal role in the support of men's basketball academic excellence, including director of student-athlete development Mike Furlong, academic counselor Maryclare Wheeler, director of specialized learning Liane Fowler, assistant director of specialized learning Jana Buehler and learning specialist Rebekah Thornton-Savage.
The Wildcats have shined off the basketball court during Weber's tenure, as 16 student-athletes have earned Academic All-Big 12 recognition a total of 23 times, while players have combined to appear on the Big 12 Commissioner's Honor Roll 126 times since 2012. The program has had at least two Academic All-Big 12 selections in seven of Weber's eight seasons, including a school-record five Academic All-Big 12 selections (with a school-best four First Team honorees) in 2017. Two players – Austin Budke (2017) and Pierson McAtee (2019) – have earned the Dr. Gerald Lage Academic Achievement Award, which is the Big 12's highest academic honor.
Four players – Cartier Diarra, James Love III, Makol Mawien and Xavier Sneed – earned their bachelor's degrees from K-State in June, while Pierson McAtee completed his Master's degree. Since 2007, 39 of 40 men's basketball players have collected their undergraduate degrees, including 28 under Weber.
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