Five Tusculum Student-Athletes Named to NABC Honors Court

Five Tusculum Student-Athletes Named to NABC Honors Court
July 13, 2011

KANSAS CITY -- Five Tusculum College men's basketball student-athletes have been named to the 2010-11 National Association of Basketball Coaches (NABC) Honors Court. Tusculum representatives on this year's NABC Honors Court are Dionte Grey, Tommy Klempin, Justin Steigerwald, Rob Troutman and Anton Tuz.

The five honorees are tied for the most of all NCAA Division II programs, along with Wilmington College (Del.).


Grey, a 6-4, 205-pound native of Johnson City, Tenn., played in 27 games last season, including 25 starts. The Science Hill High School graduate shot 51.7 percent from the floor, while averaging 5.4 points and 2.5 rebounds per game. His 28.11 minutes played per game was 24th in the South Atlantic Conference. Grey has a 3.46 GPA, majoring in Sport Management and is a member of the SAC Commissioner's Honor Roll and the Athletic Director's Honor Roll.

Klempin, a 6-10, 240-pound center from Reynoldsburg, Ohio, enjoyed a breakout season with the Pioneers. He played in all 30 games, while earning a start in all but one of those outings. The Pickerington Central High School alum shot a team-best 56 percent from the floor (7th in SAC), while averaging 10.5 points (26th in SAC) and 5.4 rebounds per game (9th in SAC). He was also 11th in the league in free throw percentage (.784), while his 20 blocked shots (0.67 bpg) were 14th in the SAC.

He scored in double figures on 16 occasions, including his career-best 23 markers against Lincoln Memorial. Klempin is majoring in Biology with a 3.22 GPA and is a member of the Tusculum Athletic Director's Honor Roll.

Steigerwald, a 6-3, 190-pound native from Cincinnati, Ohio, led the Pioneers in assists (4.5 apg), steals (1.1 spg) and minutes played per game (37.6 mpg). He was third on the team in scoring, averaging 9.8 points per game and was second in rebounding, pulling down 4.7 boards per contest. His 37.6 minutes played per game was the best in the conference, while his assist tally was the second highest in the league. He was also 20th in the conference in rebounding, 30th in scoring and fifth in assist/turnover ratio (1.26).

The Oak Hill High School graduate played in every minute in 14 games this past season, while logging an amazing 54 minutes in Tusculum's triple overtime win at Newberry in the opening round of the SAC Tournament. In that contest, he posted a career double-double with 22 points and 12 rebounds. He led the Pioneers to the semifinal round of the league tournament as he averaged 18.5 points and 9.5 rebounds per contest in the conference postseason.

In Tusculum's 80-73 win at Newberry on Dec. 4, 2010, Steigerwald led the Pioneers with 19 points, nine rebounds, three assists, one blocked shot and three steals to become the first Tusculum player in recorded school history to lead the team in all five categories. Steigerwald, this year's team most valuable player, is majoring in Business Administration with a 3.28 GPA and is a member of the Athletic Director's Honor Roll.

Troutman, a 6-5, 205-pound forward from Mt. Washington, Ky., garnered All-SAC Second Team honors while leading the squad in scoring, averaging 13 points per game (16th in SAC). He led the league in free throw percentage (85%) and was fourth in three-point field goal percentage (.413), fifth in three-pointers made per game (2.2) and second in minutes played per game (35.33 mpg).

The Bullitt East High School graduate scored in double figures in 13 of his last 14 outings, including a 14-point performance in TC's 67-62 triple overtime win over Newberry in the quarterfinal round of the SAC Tournament. The triple-overtime contest was the longest game in SAC Tournament history and the second triple overtime contest in Tusculum history. In that win, Troutman also recorded his 1,000th career point, becoming the 22nd player in school history to achieve the feat. His 1,008 career points are 20th in Tusculum history. He finished his collegiate career connecting on a three-point field goal in his last 17 games.

Troutman played in 117 games in his Tusculum career, including 87 starts. He logged 3,377 minutes, 460 rebounds, 249 assists and 67 steals. He shot 74.8 percent from the free throw line for his career, including 79.5 percent in his final three seasons (82.6% last two years). Troutman majored in Physical Education, Health and Wellness at Tusculum with a 3.48 GPA. He is a member of the SAC Commissioner's Honor Roll and the Tusculum Athletic Director's Honor Roll.

Tuz, a 6-10, 270-pound center from Mykolair, Ukraine, appeared in 16 games for the Pioneers where he recorded 23 points, 10 rebounds and shot 50 percent from the field and 77.8 percent from the free throw stripe. Tuz is majoring in Business Administration and Management with a 3.28 GPA and is a member of the Athletic Director's Honor Roll.

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 entire NABC Honors Court can be found here.