KANSAS CITY, MO - Cairn Men's Basketball was awarded the National Association of Basketball Coaches (NABC) Team Academic Excellence Award in addition to seven members of the team being selected to NABC's Honors Court.

Recognizing men's basketball programs that completed the 2024-25 academic year with a team GPA of 3.0 or higher, Cairn Men's Basketball had a collective 3.20 GPA, also earning a Team Academic Excellence Award for the United East Conference.

Seven student-athletes from Cairn Men's Basketball were selected to the National Association of Basketball Coaches (NABC) Honors Court from this past season:

Graduate students Corey Baldwin (Henderson, NC / Averett), Josiah Hardy (Ashburn, VA / Hampden-Sydney), Jeff Williamson (Brooklyn, NY / SUNY Potsdam), Seniors Christian Rivera (Cayey, Puerto Rico / Central Bucks East), Chris Eelman (North Haledon, NJ / Hawthorne Christian Academy), Jonathan Desir (Feasterville, PA / Neshaminy), and junior Liam Carey (Ottsville, PA / Palisades) were named to the Honors Court.

This marks the third consecutive NABC Honors Court bid for Rivera, second for Eelman and Desir. 

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:

• Academically a junior or senior and a varsity player.
• Cumulative grade point average (GPA) of 3.2 or higher at the conclusion of the 2023-24 academic year.
• Students must have matriculated at least one year at their current institution.
• Member of a NCAA Division I, II, III, or NAIA Division I 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.