SCHENECTADY, N.Y. – The Union College men's basketball team was recognized both as a team and individually for its success in the classroom by the National Association of Basketball Coaches (NABC), the organization announced on Wednesday. For the 12th straight season under head coach Chris Murphy '06, Union earned the NABC Team Academic Excellence Award, while six players - recent graduates Aren Cummings, Neil Daterao and Kidder Lindley; and rising seniors Matthew Garside, Jaden Jauregui and Jack Plesser earned spots on the NABC Honors Court as well.
 
The Team Excellence Award, which is in its 14th season, recognizes outstanding academic achievement by a team with a cumulative grade point average of 3.0 or better for the 2025-26 season. All student-athletes who competed for the team during the school year count toward the cumulative team GPA. Union is one of over 400 programs in the NCAA, NAIA and NJCAA to earn the honor and one of six Liberty League schools to be recognized.
 
Individually, Lindley and Daterao were recognized on the Honors Court for the second straight season, while Cummings, Garside, Jauregui and Plesser all were honored for the first time. In order to be named to the Honors Court, a student-athlete must be a junior or senior academically, have a cumulative grade point average of 3.20 or higher at the end of the school year, and have matriculated at least one year at his current institution. The six selections are second-most in a season in program history, behind only the seven honorees from 2023.