Elmira College Men's Basketball Bestowed with NABC Team Academic Excellence Award

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ELMIRA, NY (07/12/2018) NABC Team Academic Excellence Award Recipients

KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- For the first time in program history, the Elmira College men's basketball team was recognized by the National Association of Basketball Coaches (NABC) as a recipient of the Team Academic Excellence Award, as announced by the national office on July 11, 2018. Created by the NABC Committee on Academics and implemented during the 2012-13 season, the Team Academic Excellence Awards recognize outstanding academic achievement by a team with a cumulative grade-point average (GPA) of 3.0 or better for the 2017-18 season.

The Soaring Eagles were one of three Empire 8 Conference affiliates to receive honors from the NABC this year. Joining the Elmira men were Nazareth and Stevens Institute of Technology. Additionally, the Purple and Gold were one of 186 teams across all divisions of college basketball (NCAA, NAIA and NJCAA) to earn the prestigious national award.

"We are very fortunate to have a group of young men who take great pride in their own academic success," said head coach Randie Torgalski. "Starting with our seniors and down to our freshmen, their focus and effort in the classroom were relentless all year long. We are extremely proud of this achievement."

The NABC Team Academic Excellence Award is the latest academic recognition for the Elmira men. At the conclusion of the 2017-18 campaign, rising senior Justin Porrett '19 was named a First Team Academic All-District honoree by the College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA).

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.