Three Pilots Named to NABC Honors Court for Academic Excellence

NABC Honors Court (PDF)

KANSAS CITY, Mo. – Ryan Nicholas, Thomas van der Mars and Riley Barker were named to the 2013-14 National Association of Basketball Coaches (NABC) Honors Court, recognizing those men's collegiate basketball student-athletes who excelled in academics during the past season. To be eligible, student-athletes must be a junior or senior and maintain a minimum cumulative grade-point average of 3.2 or higher.

Nicholas, a native of Spokane, Wash., graduated in May with a 3.55 cumulative grade-point average with a degree in psychology. A three-time West Coast Conference All-Academic Team member, Nicholas also earned the Division I-AAA Athletics Directors Association (DI-AAA ADA) Post-Graduate Scholarship and was on the 10-player DI-AAA ADA Scholar-Athlete Men's Basketball Team. It is the second straight season that Nicholas was named to the NABC Honors Court.

Van der Mars became the second men's basketball player in program history to earn Capital One CoSIDA Academic All-America honors this season after being named to the second team. A native of Gouda, The Netherlands, van der Mars is also a two-time WCC All-Academic Team pick and joined Nicholas on the DI-AAA ADA Scholar-Athlete Team. He has a 3.95 grade-point average as an operations and technology management major.

Barker also picks up his second straight NABC Honors Court award. A two-time WCC All-Academic selection, the White Rock, British Columbia native has a 3.47 grade-point average as a marketing major.

A record number 895 student-athletes from 335 colleges and universities earned NABC Honors Court distinction.
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 or senior and a varsity player.
2. Cumulative grade point average (GPA) of 3.2 or higher at the conclusion of the 2013-14 academic year.
3. Students must have matriculated at least one year at their current institution.
4. Member of an NCAA Division I, II, III, or NAIA Division I or II institution with a NABC member coach.
 
The NABC will announce its Team Academic Excellence Awards on Wednesday, July 23.