Central receives men’s basketball academic honors

PELLA-For the third consecutive year, the Central College’s men’s basketball team has received the National Association of Basketball Coaches Team Academic Excellence Award while four Dutch players were tabbed for the NABC Honors Court.

The team award recognizes programs that complete the year with a grade point average of 3.0 or higher. Coach Joe Steinkamp’s American Rivers championship squad posted a combined 3.26 GPA.

Kaleb Brand (senior, Mount Vernon), Nolan Brand (senior, Mount Vernon). Kole Tupa (senior, Center Point, Center Point-Urbana HS) and Eli Kading (senior, Casey, ACGC HS) were named to the Honors Court, which recognizes juniors and seniors with cumulative GPAs of 3.20 or higher. Kaleb Brand graduated with a 3.81 GPA with a business management major, Nolan Brand finished with a 3.43 GPA and an elementary education major, Tupa posted a 3.76 GPA with a history major and Kading carries a 3.32 GPA with an accounting major.

More than 2,100 players were named to the NABC Honors court with more than 360 teams also cited.

Central posted a 17-9 record and an 11-5 American Rivers mark