DETROIT -- The 2024-25 Wayne State University men's basketball squad has been honored with a National Association of Basketball Coaches (NABC) Team Academic Excellence Award. Individually,
Kareem Aburashed (West Bloomfield, Mich. / Detroit Country Day [Macomb CC]),
Jon Brantley (Farmington Hills, Mich. / Brother Rice [Lafayette College]),
Bryce Esman (Metamora, Mich. / Oxford),
Eli Lohr (China Township, Mich. / St. Clair),
Chris Mutebi (Farmington Hills, Mich. / Univ. of Detroit Jesuit), and
Kelvin Tamakloe (Accra, Ghana / Spring Creek Academy [Blinn College]) were named to the NABC Honors Court.
NABC Team Academic Excellence Award Requirements
- The NABC recognizes men's college basketball programs that excelled in academics during the previous season with the NABC Team Academic Excellence Award. In order to receive the Team Academic Excellence Award, a program must achieve a team GPA of 3.0 or higher for the previous academic year.
- Each institution must count the GPA of all men's basketball student-athletes who were listed on the team roster during the previous season. All four-year and two-year colleges with at least one active NABC-member coach are eligible.
For the 2024-25 academic year, Wayne State turned in a GPA of 3.324, which included a 3.18 for the Fall semester before a 3.46 in the Winter.
NABC Honors Court Requirements
- The NABC Honors Court recognizes men's college basketball student-athletes who excelled in academics during the previous season. In order to be named to the Honors Court, a student-athlete must meet a high standard of academic criteria. The qualifications are as follows:
1. Academically a junior, senior or graduate student and a varsity player.
2. Cumulative GPA of 3.2 or higher at the conclusion of the academic year.
3. Member of a four-year institution with at least one active NABC-member coach.
Aburashed - 3.33 GPA - Marketing
Brantley - 3.45 GPA - MBA
Esman - 3.91 GPA - Marketing
Lohr - 3.36 GPA - Biomedical Engineering
Mutebi - 3.58 GPA - Public Health
Tamakloe - 3.29 GPA - Finance
NABC Release
KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- The NABC has announced the recipients of the 2024-25 NABC Team Academic Excellence Awards and NABC Honors Court, representing achievement in the classroom by men's college basketball teams and individual players.
The NABC Team Academic Excellence Awards recognize programs that completed the 2024-25 academic year with a team GPA of 3.0 or higher. The NABC Honors Court, meanwhile, includes junior, senior and graduate student men's basketball players who finished the 2024-25 year with a cumulative GPA of 3.2 or higher.
The NABC's academic awards are presented annually to teams and athletes from all levels of college basketball.
"Education is one of the NABC's five core values, and we are proud to recognize the academic accomplishments of these programs and individual student-athletes across our sport," said NABC Executive Director Craig Robinson. "The dedication and hard work of these athletes, along with their coaches and support staff members who prioritize academic success, deserves to be widely celebrated."
Over 2,400 players earned spots on the NABC Honors Court and nearly 400 programs received NABC Team Academic Excellence Awards for 2024-25.
