KANSAS CITY, Mo. – Senior Ryan Hughes joined recent graduates Matt McMahon and Peyton Vostenak joined on the National Association of Basketball Coaches (NABC) Honors Court, while the men's basketball program received a Team Academic Excellence Award for the sixth consecutive season.
The Team Academic Excellence Award is reserved for programs with a cumulative grade-point average of 3.0 or better. The Bears achieved a 3.3 team GPA for the 2021-22 academic year.
McMahon and Vostenak are two-time recipients of Honors Court recognition, which rewards juniors and seniors with a cumulative GPA of 3.20 or better at the end of the academic year. Hughes earned a spot on the honors court for the first time in his collegiate career. McMahon and Vostenak are business and economics majors while Hughes is an education studies major.
Hughes earned numerous postseason accolades after a dynamic 2021-22 campaign. The Middletown, Pa. native earned NABC First Team All-District 5 and D3hoops.com Second Team All-Region 5 honors for the first time in his collegiate career and earned his first ever selection to the All-Centennial First Team. Hughes averaged 18.9 points per game, which was good for second highest in the Conference. Along with his scoring, Hughes ranked fifth in the Centennial with a career-best 6.5 rebounds per game and recorded five double-doubles in the process. Hughes performed at a consistent level as he scored double-figures for all but one game this season and led the team with a 49.9 field goal percentage.
Vostenak finished his collegiate career with his best season during his time in Collegeville. He provided to be a strong sixth man for the Bears as he ranked second in the Centennial Conference in three-point field goal percentage at 48.8 percent and averaged a career-high six points per game. Vostenak recorded a career-high 15 points against Haverford in early February.
McMahon also set career-highs in his final season as he averaged three points per game in 16 contests for the Bears. He set a new career best in points for a single game with eight against McDaniel in late January.
McMahon and Vostenak have also been named to the Centennial Conference Academic Honor Roll every semester in which they have been eligible.
"Academic success is a core value of the NABC and a priority shared by men's basketball programs across the country," said NABC Executive Director Craig Robinson. "Excellence in the classroom requires hard work and dedication, and the NABC considers it a privilege to honor these deserving student-athletes and the coaches and staff who support them."
Over 2,000 players earned spots on the NABC Honors Court and over 300 programs received NABC Team Academic Excellence Awards for 2021-22.