Hokies' Men's Basketball Team Earns Academic Honor
The Virginia Tech Hokies men’s basketball team is already making waves...off the court that is.
This past Thursday, the Hokies were awarded by the National Association of Basketball Coaches (NABC) with the Team Academic Excellence Award for the 2019-20 season.
It is the first time in school history that Virginia Tech has been honored by the NABC with the award. To earn the award, a team has to have a cumulative GPA of 3.0 or better for the season.
In that regard, the Hokies men’s basketball squad earned a GPA of 3.62 in the spring and 3.27 in the fall. Their 3.62 GPA is the highest mark in school history for a semester and it comes in just Mike Young’s first year as head coach.
Mike Young's team showed promise on the court and excellence in the classroom in 2019-20.
Michael Thomas Shroyer-USA TODAY Sports
Things were a bit murky for the Hokies following the 2018-19 season with the departure of Buzz Williams for the Texas A&M head coaching job but since then, things have seemed to work themselves out gradually.
The Hokies had some high points and low points during Young’s first season, but by season’s end they showed their growth and development despite their considerable youth. Now, they’ve got a chance to get through some obstacles in 2020-21 and have shown they can get it done in the classroom with no issue.
The Team Academic Excellence Award was established following the 2012-13 season to celebrate the overall academic success of basketball programs. The Hokies have gotten off to a hot start under Mike Young already on the basketball court and it’s shown that his culture shift is largely working as he’s earned the Team Academic Excellence Award as the head coach in year one.
