KANSAS CITY, Mo. – The National Association of Basketball Coaches (NABC) on Wednesday (July 15) announced the recipients of the 2025-26 NABC Honors Court, representing outstanding achievement in the classroom by collegiate men's basketball student-athletes.
The Honors Courts recognizes men's basketball players who were academically a junior, senior, or graduate student during the 2025-26 academic year. To be eligible, players must maintain a cumulative grade point average (GPA) of 3.20 or higher at the conclusion of the academic year while being a member of the roster during the season.
For the 2025-26 academic year, fifth-year guard
Patrick Antonelli, seniors
Cole Deptula,
Will Asken, and juniors
Jaiden Cancela and
Kameron McCall earned the recognition for the Patriot men's basketball squad.
A native of Mount Pleasant, S.C., Antonelli averaged 5.3 points, 3.6 assists, and 2.7 rebounds per game while posting a .473 field goal percentage and an 81.6 percent free-throw percentage in 27 games played. He posted a 3.30 GPA while pursuing a master's degree in business administration.
In his final collegiate season, Deptula led the Patriots in scoring with 15.2 points per game and achieved a career milestone after eclipsing 1,000 points. He reached double-digit points in 23 contests, including a trio of 30-point performances, while also contributing 4.9 rebounds per game. Additionally, Deptula converted a team-best 78 three-pointers in 29 games. He maintained a 3.21 GPA as a biology major.
Asken, a product from Apex, N.C., competed in 28 contests with five starts. He averaged 2.0 points and 2.7 rebounds in 9.9 minutes per game. He held a 3.55 GPA while majoring in marketing strategy.
Cancela, a 6-5 guard/forward, tallied 6.1 points and 3.7 rebounds per game, while recording seven double-digit scoring performances this year. He posted a 3.60 GPA while pursuing a degree in management.
A 6-foot-1 guard, McCall concluded his first season at Francis Marion after transferring into the institution. He maintains a 3.61 GPA as an engineering major.
The group of five Patriots was among only 23 players from the Conference Carolinas who gained this recognition.
"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."
Over 2,300 players earned spots on the NABC Honors Court, and over 400 programs received NABC Team Academic Excellence Awards for 2025-26.
