Four Tiger Men's Basketball Players Earn NABC Academic Honors

San Antonio - Trinity's men's basketball team had four players named to the National Association of Basketball Coaches Academic Honors Court for the 2011-12 season.

Tiger seniors Ryan Beall and Gil Melchior, as well as juniors John Boxberger and Heath Hopson all earned distinction.  To be named to the Honors Court, a student-athlete must be a junior or senior, have a cumulative grade point average of 3.20 or higher, and have been at their institution for at least one year.  

Head Coach Pat Cunningham led Trinity to the Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference Championship and an appearance in the NCAA Playoffs this past season, which is his 13th with the Tiger program.  Cunningham is Trinity's winningest coach with more than 250 wins at the school, and he also eclipsed 400 career wins this past season.

Beall led Trinity with 109 assists in 2011-12, which is the third-highest total in school history.  He was just the second Tiger player ever to record more than 100 assists in more than one season, and is only the fourth in school history to reach 300 career assists.  

Hopson was third on the team in scoring (10.0 points/game), while Melchior is a three-time member of the SCAC Honor Roll.  Boxberger, though limited due to injury this year, averaged just under 3.0 points/game and shot 38% from the field.

Trinity's SCAC Championship in 2011-12 was the sixth in school history, and the team also made its eighth NCAA Playoff appearance.  The Tigers defeated 10th-ranked University of Mary Hardin-Baylor to open the playoffs, but lost to #7 Whitworth the next night in Belton, Texas.