Eastern Michigan Athletics
Ballard Jr. and Spottsville Earn NABC Honors Court Accolades
7/27/2021 1:05:00 PM | Men's Basketball
EMU’s two honorees ranked third-highest in the MAC
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (EMUEagles.com) – Eastern Michigan University men's basketball redshirt junior Derek Ballard Jr. (Southfield, Mich.-Southfield-Lathrup) and senior Darion Spottsville (Phoenix, Ariz.-Shadow Mountain (South Mountain C.C.)) earned a spot on the National Association of Basketball Coaches (NABC) 2020-21 Honors Court for the second straight year, the organization announced today, July 27.
Eastern's two selections ranked the third-highest in the Mid-American Conference of the 350 programs among all NCAA divisions and NAIA recognized. Toledo led the MAC with five honorees, followed by Western Michigan (3). Buffalo and Miami also had one recipient each, respectively.
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 sport management major, saw action in 15 games, including one start for the Green and White during the 2020-21 season. The redshirt junior averaged 11.6 minutes, 2.8 rebounds, and 2.5 points per game. The Southfield, Mich. native grabbed a career-high six rebounds and added six points in 14 minutes of play at in-state rival Central Michigan, Jan. 16. Additionally, Ballard Jr. scored a personal-best eight points against Miami, Jan. 23. The forward is also a member of the 2021 Academic All-MAC Team.
Spottsville, a sport management major, appeared in 17 games, making six starts last season. He averaged 5.2 points per game and ranked third on the team with 32 assists (1.9 apg). The Phoenix, Ariz. native tallied four double-digit performances, including a season-high 12 points in the season opener at No. 13 Michigan State, Nov. 25. Spottsville shot 66 percent from the field for 10 points against Adrian, Dec. 9, and dished out a season-high four helpers at Kent State, Feb. 20. Additionally, the senior garnered 2021 Academic All-MAC honors.
Eastern Michigan continues its offseason schedule and prepares for the 2021-22 season with first-year Head Coach Stan Heath at the helm of the program. For more information on Eastern Michigan men's basketball, visit EMUEagles.com or follow the team's official Twitter at Twitter.com/EMU_MBB, on Facebook at Facebook.com/EMUMBB, or on Instagram at Instgram.com/emumbb.
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 third-highest in the Mid-American Conference of the 350 programs among all NCAA divisions and NAIA recognized. Toledo led the MAC with five honorees, followed by Western Michigan (3). Buffalo and Miami also had one recipient each, respectively.
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 sport management major, saw action in 15 games, including one start for the Green and White during the 2020-21 season. The redshirt junior averaged 11.6 minutes, 2.8 rebounds, and 2.5 points per game. The Southfield, Mich. native grabbed a career-high six rebounds and added six points in 14 minutes of play at in-state rival Central Michigan, Jan. 16. Additionally, Ballard Jr. scored a personal-best eight points against Miami, Jan. 23. The forward is also a member of the 2021 Academic All-MAC Team.
Spottsville, a sport management major, appeared in 17 games, making six starts last season. He averaged 5.2 points per game and ranked third on the team with 32 assists (1.9 apg). The Phoenix, Ariz. native tallied four double-digit performances, including a season-high 12 points in the season opener at No. 13 Michigan State, Nov. 25. Spottsville shot 66 percent from the field for 10 points against Adrian, Dec. 9, and dished out a season-high four helpers at Kent State, Feb. 20. Additionally, the senior garnered 2021 Academic All-MAC honors.
Eastern Michigan continues its offseason schedule and prepares for the 2021-22 season with first-year Head Coach Stan Heath at the helm of the program. For more information on Eastern Michigan men's basketball, visit EMUEagles.com or follow the team's official Twitter at Twitter.com/EMU_MBB, on Facebook at Facebook.com/EMUMBB, or on Instagram at Instgram.com/emumbb.
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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