Men’s Basketball Earns NABC Academic Award; Five Firebirds Named to NABC Honors Court – Carthage College Athletics

KANSAS CITY, Mo. – The Carthage College men’s basketball team has been recognized by the National Association of Basketball Coaches (NABC) for its academic excellence. The Firebirds were awarded the NABC Team Academic Excellence Award, which acknowledges men’s basketball programs that achieved a team GPA of 3.0 or higher during the 2023-24 academic year. Additionally, several players from Carthage College have earned spots on the prestigious NABC Honors Court.

The NABC Honors Court celebrates junior, senior, and graduate student men’s basketball players who maintain a cumulative GPA of 3.2 or higher. The Carthage College athletes who have been honored for their outstanding academic achievements are:

 

• AJ Johnson, Junior, Mathematics
• Anthony Bernero, Senior, Management and Exercise and Sport Science
• Fillip Bulatovic, Graduate Student, Sports Management
• Ryan Grantham, Junior, Data Science
• Travis Zdanowski, Senior, Athletic Administration

Craig Robinson, Executive Director of the NABC, praised the dedication of these student-athletes: “The NABC is proud to celebrate these accomplished student-athletes along with the coaches and staff who champion success in the classroom. Education is a core value of the NABC, and the teams and athletes who earned these awards prove that academic achievement remains a priority across every level of our sport.”

Over 2,100 players earned spots on the NABC Honors Court, and more than 360 programs received the NABC Team Academic Excellence Awards for 2023-24.