Links: NABC Team Academic Excellence Award | NABC Honors Court
The LaGrange College men's basketball team was recognized for its outstanding work in the classroom, as the Panthers received a 2019-20 Team Academic Excellence Award from the National Association of Basketball Coaches (NABC) on July 16.
The prerequisites for receiving this honor are a team must compile a cumulative GPA of 3.0 or higher for the 2019-20 season and the program must count the GPA of every student-athlete who competed during the season.
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LaGrange men's basketball head coach Kendal Wallace, who is entering his 10th year at the helm of the program, always holds his student-athletes to a high standard on and off the court. He focuses on the importance of developing quality young men who are ready to make an immediate and considerable impact in society upon graduation.
This is the fourth time that the Panthers have earned the Team Academic Excellence Award during Wallace's tenure. LaGrange collected the honor in three-straight years from 2016-18.
"I am super proud of our team for achieving this award," said Wallace. "Our young men concentrate heavily on their academics, as well as basketball. These young men know that it is not just about being good at sports. They try to be good at everything their name is attached to. This is an incredible accomplishment because only one other team in our extremely large conference was able to garner this award."
Rising senior Lincoln Anderson was named to the 2019-20 NABC Honors Court on July 15 for his dedication to the classroom. The LaGrange, Georgia, native was one of more than 1,350 men's collegiate basketball student-athletes to earn this prestigious award.
A student-athlete needs to be a varsity player and a junior or senior from an academic perspective to qualify. At the conclusion of the 2019-20 academic year, the individual must have a cumulative GPA of 3.2 or higher. The person needs to be enrolled at their current institution for at least one year and compete at the NCAA Division I, II, III, or NAIA Division I or II level with a NABC member coach.
Anderson will be entering his fourth year at LaGrange during the 2020-21 academic year. He has maintained an outstanding 3.79 GPA and his major is psychology.
"I am very proud to accept this award," said Anderson. "After all the hard work in the classroom, as well as the court, it is amazing to obtain this acknowledgment."
During the 2019-20 season, Anderson morphed into a game-changing player and an elite low-post threat in the USA South. The captain was one of two Panthers to start all 25 games, as he averaged 13.6 points and a team-high 7.1 rebounds per game.
The 6-foot-8 student-athlete led the Panthers in field-goal percentage (59.8) and recorded three 20-point, 10-rebound games. Anderson ranked second in the conference in field-goal percentage and eighth in rebounds per game.
The driven young man scored a career-high 25 points and pulled down a career-best 15 rebounds in a 103-97 overtime win at Berea on Feb. 1.
"Lincoln Anderson is a front-runner in everything he does," said Wallace. "He is constantly trying to improve his grades, game and character. We are lucky to have him in our program, as well as a representative of this institution. Lincoln is an example of the quality student-athletes that we produce here at LaGrange College. I am blessed, happy and proud to play a small role in his development. He will do great things in life."
Assistant Director of Sports Information Trevor Wenners can be reached at twenners@lagrange.edu.
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