{"id":17074,"date":"2025-07-17T19:09:09","date_gmt":"2025-07-17T19:09:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/17074\/"},"modified":"2025-07-17T19:09:09","modified_gmt":"2025-07-17T19:09:09","slug":"6-liberty-players-earn-nabc-recognition-flames-receive-team-excellence-award","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/17074\/","title":{"rendered":"6 Liberty Players Earn NABC Recognition, Flames Receive Team Excellence Award"},"content":{"rendered":"

LYNCHBURG, Va. \u2013 Six Liberty men’s basketball players garnered 2024-25 National Association of Basketball Coaches (NABC) Honors Court recognition for their efforts in the classroom. In addition, the Flames earned the NABC Team Academic Excellence Award for the seventh straight year.
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\nLiberty’s NABC Honors Court recipients include Isaiah Ihnen<\/a>, Gabriel McKay<\/a>, Colin Porter<\/a>, Kaden Metheny<\/a>, Zander Yates<\/a> and Owen Aquino<\/a>. The NABC Honors Court recognizes players who were academically a junior, senior or graduate student during the 2024-25 school year. To be eligible, student-athletes must have a cumulative grade-point average (GPA) of 3.2 of higher at the conclusion of academic year and must have been a member of the varsity roster in 2024-25.
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\nTo earn the NABC Team Academic Award, a team must have achieved a GPA of 3.0 or higher during the 2024-25 school year. All men’s basketball players listed on the varsity roster during the season must be included in the team GPA calculation. Liberty posted a 3.23 GPA as a team during the 2024-25 academic year.
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\nLiberty is one of only two schools in Conference USA to receive the NABC Team Academic Excellence Award this year, along with Western Kentucky. The Flames led all CUSA institutions with six NABC Honors Court recipients.
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\nOver 2,400 players from all levels of college basketball earned spots on the NABC Honors Court, and nearly 400 programs received NABC Team Academic Excellence Awards for 2024-25.
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\n2024-25 NABC Honors Court
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\nIsaiah Ihnen<\/a><\/p>\n


\n\tMajor: Business Administration (graduate student) (3.33 GPA)
\n\tFourth career NABC Honors Court award
\n\tNamed to 2024-25 CUSA Commissioner’s Honor Roll
\n\tThree-time Academic All-Big Ten honoree while at Minnesota <\/p>\n

Gabriel McKay<\/a> <\/p>\n


\n\tMajor: Executive Leadership (graduate student) (3.22 GPA)
\n\tFourth career NABC Honors Court award
\n\tTwo-time CUSA Commissioner’s Honor Roll recipient
\n\tTwo-time ASUN Academic Honor Roll recipient <\/p>\n

Colin Porter<\/a> <\/p>\n


\n\tMajor: Business Administration (3.66 GPA)
\n\tFirst career NABC Honors Court award
\n\tNamed to 2024-25 College Sports Communicators (CSC) Academic All-District\u00ae Men’s Basketball Team (second straight year)
\n\tEarned CUSA All-Academic team honors for a second straight year
\n\tTwo-time CUSA Commissioner’s Honor Roll recipient <\/p>\n

Kaden Metheny<\/a> <\/p>\n


\n\tMajor: Business Administration \u2013 Real Estate Development (graduate student) (3.38 GPA)
\n\tFirst career NABC Honors Court award
\n\tGarnered inclusion on 2024-25 CUSA Commissioner’s Honor Roll
\n\tEarned Academic All-MAC honors during 2022-23 season at Bowling Green <\/p>\n

Zander Yates<\/a> <\/p>\n


\n\tMajor: Interdisciplinary Studies (3.49 GPA)
\n\tSecond career NABC Honors Court award
\n\tTwo-time CUSA Commissioner’s Honor Roll recipient <\/p>\n

Owen Aquino<\/a> <\/p>\n


\n\tMajor: Interdisciplinary Studies (3.33 GPA)
\n\tFirst career NABC Honors Court award
\n\tNamed to 2024-25 CUSA Commissioner’s Honor Roll <\/p>\n

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Congrats to our 6?? @NABC1927<\/a> Honors Court recipients!??<\/p>\n

Additionally, we received the Team Academic Excellence Award for a 7??th straight year.?? <\/p>\n

??: https:\/\/t.co\/z4b6upnkmB<\/a> pic.twitter.com\/2mqAlwu2jv<\/a><\/p>\n

\u2014 Liberty Men’s Basketball (@LibertyMBB) July 17, 2025<\/a>
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