Mens basketball team honored for academic performance

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Auburn basketball team honored for academic performance

Mark Murphy

4 minutes

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2 Minute Drill: Depth on defense a concern for Auburn Tigers

 

AUBURN, Alabama–The 2021-22 Auburn men’s basketball team, which was recognized for its on-the-court success, has also been honored for its collective academic performance.

On Tuesday the National Association of Basketball Coaches announced the Tigers have received the NABC Team Academic Excellence Award and four individuals have been named to the honors court.

Zep Jasper, who will be a graduate student guard for the 2022-23 Auburn team, was honored along with a pair of rising senior guards, Lior Berman and Chandler Leopard. Preston Cook, a senior guard on last season’s team, has also been honored.

According to the NABC, Auburn is one of only six NCAA Division I men's basketball programs along with Arizona, Colorado State, Kansas, Tennessee and Villanova to finish in the Top 25 of the final Associated Press Poll and achieve a 3.0 or higher team grade-point average this past season. In addition to Auburn and Tennessee, Vandy was the other SEC team with a cumulative grade point average of at least 3.0.

“Academic success is a core value of the NABC and a priority shared by men’s basketball programs across the country,” NABC Executive Director Craig Robinson said. “Excellence in the classroom requires hard work and dedication, and the NABC considers it a privilege to honor these deserving student-athletes and the coaches and staff who support them.”

Coach Bruce Pearl’s 2021-22 team won the Southeastern Conference regular season championship and made program history by ascending to No. 1 in both the AP and coaches polls for the first time. Also for the first time in program history two players Jabari Smith and Walker Kessler were named All-Americans in the same season. Those players became the first pair of AU players be selected in the first round of the same NBA Draft.

The 2022-23 Tigers are currently preparing for a three-game exhibition tour to Israel where they will play the Israel Under-20 National Team on Aug. 2 at Malha Arena in Jerusalem, the Israel All-Star Select Team on Aug. 7 and the Israel National Team the following day at Sport Palace in Tel Aviv.

Pearl said he wants the trip to be a memorable trip for his players, who are scheduled to tour historical sites while in Israel. “Aside from basketball, this is an educational experience for our players," he said. "We are going to take them to where Jesus was born in Bethlehem and visit the City of David in Jerusalem. From a historical and religious standpoint, this is going to be one of the greatest trips in our student-athletes’ lives. I am grateful to Auburn for its continued support of our foreign trips over the years and helping with our ministry.”

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Pearl said the exhibition tour will a basketball challenge for his team. “These foreign trips have been one of the greatest teaching moments I have been a part of in 40 years of coaching college basketball. Israel has not been your typical destination for college basketball teams. Yet, Israel, is one of the top two-three countries in the world in its quality of competition and support for professional basketball."