Seven Wheaton College men's basketball players posted GPAs of 3.2 or higher last year, and the program as a whole carried a 3.55 cumulative GPA for the 2025-26 academic year. That earned the Thunder their 11th NABC Team Academic Excellence Award since the honor's inception in 2012-13.

The National Association of Basketball Coaches announced the recognition on Wednesday, July 15, naming Wheaton among more than 400 programs across NCAA Divisions I, II, and III and the NAIA to meet the 3.0 team GPA threshold.

Head coach Mike Schauer's squad has now earned the distinction in all but three eligible seasons. The program received the award in 2012-13, 2013-14, and then in seven consecutive years from 2017-18 through 2024-25, according to Wheaton College Athletics.

Schauer, a 1993 Wheaton alumnus who also serves as the college's athletic director, has led the program since 2009.

Seven players were individually named to the 2025-26 NABC Honors Court: Matt Campione, Ty Ferguson, Noah Hedrick, Kyle Neibch, Soren Richardson, Cooper Starks, and Eli Will. The honor requires a cumulative GPA of 3.2 or higher, junior academic standing or above, and at least one year at the current institution. More than 2,300 players nationally earned Honors Court recognition this year, according to the NABC.

"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," NABC Executive Director Craig Robinson said in the organization's July 15 announcement.

Wheaton competes in NCAA Division III as a member of the College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin. The Thunder open the 2026-27 home schedule on Saturday, November 7, against Milwaukee School of Engineering at King Arena in Wheaton.