This was the sixth straight year for the Wildcats as a team, all under head coach Matt Majkrzak, to receive the NABC Team Academic Excellence Award.

The honor recognizes teams that completed the 2024-25 academic year with a team grade-point average of at least 3.00.

In addition, a trio of NMU junior forwards each earned the NABC Honors Court award for being a junior, senior or graduate student who finished the academic year with a 3.2 or higher GPA.

They are Dylan Kuehl, a construction management major from Iron Ridge, Wisconsin; Jackson Dudek, a financial management major from Kimberly, Wisconsin; and Sam Privet, a construction management major from Caledonia, Minnesota.

Northern Michigan University’s Dylan Kuehl, right, is defended by Wayne State’s Ray Williams Jr. as he drives toward the hoop and would score a basket during a GLIAC men’s basketball game played at the PEIF Gym in Marquette on Thursday, Dec. 7, 2023. (Photo courtesy Cara Kamps)

These NABC academic awards are presented to teams and athletes from all levels of college basketball.

“Education is one of the NABC’s five core values, and we are proud to recognize the academic accomplishments of these programs and individual student-athletes across our sport,” NABC Executive Director Craig Robinson said in an NMU Sports Information news release about the awards. “The dedication and hard work of these athletes, along with their coaches and support staff members who prioritize academic success, deserves to be widely celebrated.”

More than 2,400 players earned spots on the NABC Honors Court and nearly 400 programs received NABC Team Academic Excellence Awards for 2024-25.

A look at the NABC website, nabc.com, showed just three other schools from the Wildcats’ league, the Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference, also earning the team award — Michigan Tech, Wayne State and Wisconsin-Parkside. Each also had a number of players earn NABC Honors Court, too.

In this past season, NMU won the GLIAC Tournament title to automatically qualify for the NCAA Division II Tournament, which it played in for the third consecutive year.

Dudek was named the GLIAC Tournament MVP, while Kuehl landed on the All-GLIAC First Team and All-Defensive Team, each for the third straight season.

Story contents based on Northern Michigan University Sports Information press release reviewing the awards. Journal Sports Editor Steve Brownlee’s email address is sbrownlee@miningjournal.net.