NABC Release (includes full listing of teams) - PDF

Butler was among the men's basketball programs honored with Team Academic Excellence Awards by the National Basketball Coaches Association. The announcement was made Wednesday, July 12. These awards, created by the NABC Committee on Academics, recognize outstanding academic achievement by a team with a cumulative grade point average (GPA) of 3.0 or better for the 2016-17 season.

In order to earn a NABC Team Academic Excellence Award, institutions in the NCAA, NAIA and NJCAA must count the grade point averages of all men's student-athletes who competed during the 2016-17 season.

Less than 20 percent of the NCAA's 351 Division I men's basketball programs were included among the NABC honorees. Butler and DePaul were the only two BIG EAST universities recognized. Milwaukee, under the direction of new Butler head coach LaVall Jordan last season, also made the list.

This Awards are in their fifth season. 

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.