KANSAS CITY, MO – The Carroll University men's basketball program continued its tradition of excellence in the classroom during the 2025-26 academic year, as five student-athletes were named to the National Association of Basketball Coaches (NABC) Honors Court and the Pioneers earned the NABC Team Academic Excellence Award.

The NABC announced its annual academic awards on Wednesday, recognizing both team and individual achievement in the classroom across all levels of collegiate men's basketball.

Representing Carroll on the 2025-26 NABC Honors Court were Dennis Estepp (Exercise Science), Evan Bland (Exercise Science/Pre-Med), Jacob Naber (Accounting), Lamar Smith (Nursing), and Lucas Parker (Business Administration). The distinction is awarded to junior, senior, and graduate student-athletes who finished the academic year with a cumulative GPA of 3.2 or higher.

In addition to the individual honors, Carroll was recognized with the NABC Team Academic Excellence Award, which is presented to programs that complete the academic year with a team GPA of 3.0 or higher.

The recognition highlights the commitment of Carroll men's basketball student-athletes to success both on the court and in the classroom.

The NABC reported that more than 2,300 student-athletes earned Honors Court recognition during the 2025-26 academic year, while more than 400 programs nationwide received Team Academic Excellence Awards.

"College basketball student-athletes do incredible things on the court, but their achievements in the classroom are equally worthy of celebration," said NABC Executive Director Craig Robinson. "Education is one of the NABC's core values, and the hundreds of programs and thousands of athletes represented on these awards reinforce the commitment to academic success that exists across all levels of our sport."

The NABC's academic awards are presented annually to recognize outstanding academic achievement by men's basketball programs and student-athletes throughout the country.