KANSAS CITY, Mo. – For the third straight year in the three-year tenure of head coach Duane Simpkins, the American University men's basketball team has been named as a recipient of the NABC Team Academic Excellence Award. Three Eagles were named to the NABC Honors Court, including second-time recipients Noah Jones and Adrian Samuels.
 
The NABC Team Academic Excellence Awards recognizes men's basketball programs that completed the 2025-26 academic year with a team GPA of 3.0 or higher. The NABC Honors Court, meanwhile, includes junior, senior and graduate student men's basketball players who finished the 2025-26 year with a cumulative GPA of 3.2 or higher.

In addition to Jones and Samuels—both seniors—junior Matt Mayock was also named to the NABC Honors Court. 
 
"Academic success is a core part of what we value in our program," said Simpkins. "Our players work incredibly hard to balance the demands of Division I basketball and the classroom, and it's rewarding to see that commitment recognized. I'm proud of each of them for the way they represent American University."
 
"College basketball student-athletes do incredible things on the court, but their achievements in the classroom are equally worthy of celebration," said NABC Executive Director Craig Robinson. "Education is one of the NABC's core values, and the hundreds of programs and thousands of athletes represented on these awards reinforce the commitment to academic success that exists across all levels of our sport."
 
For the latest on American University Men's Basketball, stay tuned to AUEagles.com and follow the team on X (formerly Twitter) (@AU_MBasketball), Facebook (/AU.MBasketball) and Instagram (@au_mbasketball).

NABC Release