Date Posted: 7/16/2008

MACON, Ga. - The National Association of Basketball Coaches announced the NABC Honors Court earlier this month, recognizing collegiate basketball student-athletes who excelled in academics. The list of players spanning all of the NCAA and NAIA included seven A-Sun student-athletes.

Florida Gulf Coast's Rob Quaintance, Kennesaw State's Jay Mitchell, Stetson's J.J. Hirst and Tim Lang plus Mercer's Brendan Walker, Michael Ellis and Daniel Emerson all qualified for the prestigious academic honor. 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 2007-08 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.

In his final season with the Eagles, Quaintance, a communication major, averaged 7.0 ppg and 2.7 rpg. He was one of only two players to start all 31 games for Florida Gulf Coast. 

Mitchell, a management student at Kennesaw State, played under coach Bobby Knight at Texas Tech a year ago, and will be a red-shirt junior for the Owls in the 2008-09 campaign.

Lang, a rising senior business major started 22 games for the Hatters and averaged 4.3 points per game and led the squad with 16 steals. Hirst, a Health Science - Rehabilitation Studies major, concluded his career in DeLand by averaging 2.6 points per game in 31 games.

At Mercer, juniors Walker, Ellis and Emerson prepare for their first year under new head coach Bob Hoffman. An engineering student, Walker appeared in 23 games for the Bears a year ago. Ellis, majoring in business administration, played in 18 games and averaged 2.6 points per contest. Emerson transfers to Mercer from Western Kentucky, where he averaged 4.9 ppg. He is a business administration student.

The Atlantic Sun Conference is an 11-member league committed to Building Winners for Life, with a focus on academic and athletic integrity and a balance between the two for the student-athlete, and maintaining a high level of sportsmanship. Headquartered in Macon, Ga., the A-Sun encompasses six of the top eight media markets in the Southeast. The A-Sun consists of some of the most dynamic private and public institutions in the region: Belmont University, Campbell University, East Tennessee State University, Florida Gulf Coast University, Jacksonville University, Kennesaw State University, Lipscomb University, Mercer University, University of North Florida, University of South Carolina Upstate and Stetson University.

Related Links:
 • NABC 2007-08 Honors Court