Newberry Duo Named to NABC Honor Court

KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- The National Association of Basketball Coaches (NABC) today announced the 2017-18 NABC Honors Court, recognizing those men's collegiate basketball student-athletes who excelled in academics during the past season.

Representing the South Atlantic Conference were two student-athletes, James Stepp and Xavier Hill from Newberry. Stepp, a biology major, was named the SAC Scholar-Athlete of the Year for men's basketball this season and was a two-time Google Cloud Academic All-District honoree. Hill is a psychology major with a business administration minor. 

The NABC Honors Court recognizes the talents and gifts that these men possess off the court and the hard work they exhibit in the classroom. 

In order to be named to the Honors Court, a student-athlete must meet a high standard of academic criteria. The qualifications are as follows:

1. Academically a junior or senior and a varsity player.

2. Cumulative grade point average (GPA) of 3.2 or higher at the conclusion of the 2017-18 academic year.

3. Students must have matriculated at least one year at their current institution.

4. Member of a NCAA Division I, II, III, or NAIA Division I or II institution with a NABC member coach.

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.