Coker's Mens and Preston Named to NABC Honor Court

HARTSVILLE, S.C. – Coker College men's basketball players Gabriel Mens and Sean Preston were named to the National Association of Basketball Coaches Honors Court today. The NABC Honors Court recognizes collegiate basketball student-athletes who excelled in academics during the 2014-15 season. Mens and Preston were two of a record 1,000 student-athletes, representing 350 colleges/universities, honored by the NABC. This is the second consecutive year that Mens have been named to the NABC Honor Court.

"I am extremely proud to have these two guys receive this prestigious honor," head men's basketball coach Dan Schmotzer said. "These young men are showing exactly what it means to be a student-athlete, being successful both on the court and in the classroom."

Mens graduated in May with a degree in business. A forward on the court, he played in 50 games during his career, scoring 18 points with 28 rebounds.  He was a two-time SAC Commissioner's Honor Roll and D2 ADA Academic Award selection.

Mens is a native of Antwerp, Belgium and is the son of Eddy Mens and Patti Simmons.

Preston, a guard, is a rising senior majoring in business. He played in 26 games in 2014-15, scoring 25 points with 17 rebounds and 15 assists. He was also a two-time SAC Commissioner's Honor Roll and D2 ADA Academic Award selection.

A native of Melbourne, Australia, Sean is the son of Carolyn and David Preston.

The NABC Honors Court recognizes the talents and gifts that student-athletes possess off the court and the hard work they exhibit in the classroom. In order to be named to the Honors Court, a student-athlete must meet a high standard of academic criteria.

The qualifications for the Honors Court are as follows: 1. Academically a junior or senior and a varsity player; 2. Cumulative GPA of 3.2 or higher at the conclusion of the 2013-14 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 Division I or II institution.

About the NABC

Located in Kansas City, Mo., 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 a 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.org.