Terrier Spotlight
Men’s Basketball Earns NABC Team Academic Excellence Award; Chauncey Hawkins Selected to NABC Honors Court
St. Francis College men’s basketball program earned the National Association of Basketball Coaches (NABC) Team Academic Excellence Award, as announced by the organization on July 15, 2020. Additionally, senior guard Chauncey Hawkins was a recipient of NABC individual academic honors as he was selected to the Honors Court.
“Earning the NABC Team Academic Excellence Award is a testament to all the hard work that our guys put into their studies. We are pleased to see our team’s continued academic success and are proud of them for persevering given the difficult circumstances this past semester,” said Terriers’ Head Coach Glenn Braica.
As a team, the Terriers posted a cumulative 3.02 GPA in 2019-20 and registered a 3.34 GPA in the Spring semester. It marks the first time in program history that the Terriers claimed the NABC Team Academic Excellence Award, and they were just one of two NEC teams to capture the honor (Bryant also won the award). The NABC Team Academic Excellence Awards recognize outstanding academic achievement by a team with a cumulative GPA of 3.0 or better for the 2019-20 season.
Hawkins was one of over 1,350 men’s basketball student-athletes from across NCAA Division I, II, III, and NAIA Division I or II selected to the NABC Honors Court for academic excellence. To be named to the Honors Court, a student-athlete must meet a high standard of academic criteria. Student-athletes must academically be a junior or senior and a varsity player, record a cumulative GPA of 3.2 or higher after the 2019-20 academic year, and matriculated at least one year at their current institution.
“We are extremely proud of Chauncey for being recognized by the NABC and congratulate him on his selection to Honors Court. He is a great representation of our program, and we look forward to him having a bright future both on and off the court,” said Coach Braica.
The rising senior adds another prestigious honor to his resume as he becomes the fifth Terrier in program history to be selected to the NABC Honors Court. Hawkins joins Matt Milk (2013-14), Glenn Sanabria (2016-17), Gunnar Olafsson (2016-17), and Jagos Lasic (2016-17), who previously earned the award. He was one of seven NEC men’s basketball student-athletes to take home the award this year. Hawkins joined Nick Crocker (Bryant), Mikail Simmons (Bryant), Keith Braxton (Saint Francis PA), Deivydas Kuzavas (Saint Francis PA), Scott Meredith (Saint Francis PA), and Dan Henry (Saint Francis PA).
Earlier this year, Hawkins was named to the All-NEC Third Team, NEC Winter Academic Honor Roll, DI-AAA ADA Scholar-Athlete Team, and was tabbed the Terriers’ Most Improved Player. Additionally, Hawkins was named a Finalist for the NEC Male Student-Athlete of the Year award.
