Tuesday, July 17, 2018

KANSAS CITY, Mo. – While the exceptional brand of GNAC men’s basketball is well known, the conference is also known for the academic achievement of its teams and athletes.

Three GNAC schools, Alaska Anchorage, Concordia and Seattle Pacific, have been honored by the National Association of Basketball Coaches (NABC) with 2017-18 Team Academic Excellence awards. The program, in its sixth year, recognizes outstanding academic achievement by a team with a cumulative grade point average of 3.0 or better.

In addition, a total of 23 GNAC men’s basketball student-athletes were selected by the NABC to its 2017-18 Honors Court. Players selected to the program must be a varsity player of junior or senior standing in terms of academic year, have a cumulative grade point average of 3.2 or better at the end of the academic year and be at an insitution with a NABC member coach.

Concordia and Seattle Pacific both placed eight players on the Honors Court. Saint Martin’s had four honorees while Alaska Anchorage finished with three.

Alaska Anchorage and Seattle Pacific tied for fourth in the GNAC standings with 11-9 records. The Falcons finished with a 17-12 overall record and advanced to the semifinals of the GNAC Basketball Championships, falling to eventual champion Western Oregon. Seattle Pacific’s roster included eight GNAC Men’s Basketball All-Academic Team selections, the most of any conference team this season.

Despite losing all but one player off of last year’s squad, Alaska Anchorage compiled a 15-14 overall record and earned the No. 5 seed in the GNAC Basketball Championships, falling in the first round to Seattle Pacific. The Seawolves placed two players on the GNAC All-Academic Team.

Concordia, in its first season as a full NCAA Division II member, finished at 5-23 overall. The Cavaliers landed six players on the GNAC All-Academic Team and had the top academic performer on the squad in guard Taylor Harris.

GNAC SELECTIONS TO 2017-18 NABC HONORS COURT
Alaska Anchorage: Brian Pearson, Curtis Ryan, Josiah Wood
Concordia: Jace Cates, Christopher Edward, Jarrett Gray, Taylor Harris, Tristen Hodges, Bryan Michaels, Cody Starr, Daniel Thiesen
Saint Martin’s: Rhett Baerlocher, EJ Boyce, Kazuma Lane, Jared Mathews
Seattle Pacific: Gabe Colosimo, Hunter Eisenhower, Trey Miller, EJ Poulsen, Sam Simpson, Nathan Streufert, Connor Van Dyken, Coleman Wooten