Eastern Michigan Athletics
Ballard Jr. and Spottsville Named to NABC Honors Court
7/15/2020 1:15:00 PM | Men's Basketball
EMU’s two honorees ranked fourth-highest in the MAC
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (EMUEagles.com) – Eastern Michigan University men's basketball redshirt sophomore Derek Ballard Jr. (Southfield, Mich.-Southfield-Lathrup) and junior Darion Spottsville (Phoenix, Ariz.-Shadow Mountain (South Mountain C.C.)) earned a spot on the National Association of Basketball Coaches (NABC) 2019-20 Honors Court, the organization announced Wednesday, July 15.
Eastern's two selections ranked the fourth-highest in the Mid-American Conference of the 1,350 collegiate men's basketball student-athletes recognized. Miami led the MAC with five honorees, followed by Western Michigan (3) and Toledo (3), respectively. Ball State, Buffalo, and Kent State also each had one recipient.
The NABC Honors Court highlights the talents and gifts student-athletes possess on the court and the hard work they exhibit in the classroom. In order to be named to the Honor Court, the student-athlete must be a junior or senior academically, hold a cumulative grade point average of 3.2-or-higher, have been at the institution for at least one year, and have a coach that is a member of the NABC.
Ballard Jr., a sports management major, appeared in 18 games for the Eagles last season. He posted a career-high five points twice during the 2019-20 campaign, including a clutch performance in a 66-62 victory over Buffalo, Feb. 4. The Southfield, Mich.-product finished with five points, five rebounds, and a steal in seven minutes of play versus the Bulls. Ballard Jr. also earned a spot of the Academic All-MAC team.
Spottsville, a sports management major, was the primary point guard for the Green and White last season as he led the Eagles with 77 assists (2.4 apg). He appeared in all 32 games with an average of 4.1 points per contest. The Phoenix, Ariz. native tallied six double-figure scoring performances and posted a team-high in assists 15 times. Spottsville notched a career-high 13 points and six rebounds at Akron, Feb. 8 and dished out seven of EMU's 12 assists at Detroit Mercy, Dec. 7.
About the National Association of Basketball Coaches (NABC)
Located in Kansas City, Missouri, the NABC was founded in 1927 by Phog Allen, the legendary basketball coach at the University of Kansas. Allen, a student of James Naismith, the inventor of basketball, organized coaches into this collective group to serve as Guardians of the Game. The NABC currently has nearly 5,000 members consisting primarily of university and college men's basketball coaches. All members of the NABC are expected to uphold the core values of being a Guardian of the Game by bringing attention to the positive aspects of the sport of basketball and the role coaches play in the academic and athletic lives of today's student-athletes. The four core values of being a Guardian of the Game are advocacy, leadership, service and education. For additional information about the NABC, its programs and membership, go to www.nabc.com.
Eastern's two selections ranked the fourth-highest in the Mid-American Conference of the 1,350 collegiate men's basketball student-athletes recognized. Miami led the MAC with five honorees, followed by Western Michigan (3) and Toledo (3), respectively. Ball State, Buffalo, and Kent State also each had one recipient.
The NABC Honors Court highlights the talents and gifts student-athletes possess on the court and the hard work they exhibit in the classroom. In order to be named to the Honor Court, the student-athlete must be a junior or senior academically, hold a cumulative grade point average of 3.2-or-higher, have been at the institution for at least one year, and have a coach that is a member of the NABC.
Ballard Jr., a sports management major, appeared in 18 games for the Eagles last season. He posted a career-high five points twice during the 2019-20 campaign, including a clutch performance in a 66-62 victory over Buffalo, Feb. 4. The Southfield, Mich.-product finished with five points, five rebounds, and a steal in seven minutes of play versus the Bulls. Ballard Jr. also earned a spot of the Academic All-MAC team.
Spottsville, a sports management major, was the primary point guard for the Green and White last season as he led the Eagles with 77 assists (2.4 apg). He appeared in all 32 games with an average of 4.1 points per contest. The Phoenix, Ariz. native tallied six double-figure scoring performances and posted a team-high in assists 15 times. Spottsville notched a career-high 13 points and six rebounds at Akron, Feb. 8 and dished out seven of EMU's 12 assists at Detroit Mercy, Dec. 7.
About the National Association of Basketball Coaches (NABC)
Located in Kansas City, Missouri, the NABC was founded in 1927 by Phog Allen, the legendary basketball coach at the University of Kansas. Allen, a student of James Naismith, the inventor of basketball, organized coaches into this collective group to serve as Guardians of the Game. The NABC currently has nearly 5,000 members consisting primarily of university and college men's basketball coaches. All members of the NABC are expected to uphold the core values of being a Guardian of the Game by bringing attention to the positive aspects of the sport of basketball and the role coaches play in the academic and athletic lives of today's student-athletes. The four core values of being a Guardian of the Game are advocacy, leadership, service and education. For additional information about the NABC, its programs and membership, go to www.nabc.com.
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