Smeulders, Niedermeyer, Knutson named to NABC Honors Court

NABC Announces 2009-10 Honors Court

KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Three University of Portland players were named to the National Association of Basketball Coaches (NABC) Honors Court, recognizing those collegiate basketball student-athletes who excelled in academics during the 2009-10 season. Graduated seniors Robin Smeulders and Ethan Niedermeyer, as well as junior Kramer Knutson, were the Pilot honorees.

Portland was one of only 24 NCAA Division I men’s teams to have three or more representatives on the Honors Court.

Smeulders majored in marketing and management and was twice named to the Division I-AAA National All-Academic Team. He was also joined by Niedermeyer (environmental ethics and policy) as a three-time WCC All-Academic Team member. Knutson is a philosophy major and has twice made the WCC All-Academic Team.

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, an 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 G.P.A. of 3.2 or higher at the conclusion of the 2009-10 academic year.
3. Students must have matriculated at least one year at their current institution.
4. Member of an NCAA Division I, II, III, or NAIA Institution.

For the complete release on the 2009-10 NABC Honors Court, Click here.

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 claims 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, Click here.