Rutgers men’s basketball got a classroom win to go with its on-court work, landing a 2025-26 NABC Team Academic Excellence Award from the National Association of Basketball Coaches.
The recognition goes to programs that finished the 2025-26 academic year with a cumulative team grade-point average of 3.0 or better. Rutgers was among more than 400 programs across college basketball to be honored.
Incoming senior guard Tariq Francis also picked up individual recognition, earning a spot on the 2025-26 NABC Honors Court for his academic performance last season. Francis, a junior health administration major, was one of more than 2,300 student-athletes nationwide selected. The Honors Court is reserved for junior, senior and graduate men’s basketball players who posted a cumulative GPA of 3.2 or higher.
The NABC presents its academic awards every year to teams and individuals across all levels of college basketball.
Francis also shared a look at what Rutgers has meant to him beyond basketball. Asked why he chose Rutgers, he said, “Rutgers was a great fit academically and athletically.
The coaching staff made me feel at home right away - Coach Pikiell is a great coach, and all the assistants have great resumes and are great people. It was an opportunity to better myself and be part of something bigger than me.”
On the value of being a Scarlet Knight, Francis pointed to the network around the program. “Networking, more than anything.
Rutgers has an incredible alumni base and so many connections. Day in and day out, you're meeting new people, learning more about the business side of things, and being exposed to opportunities that players at smaller schools may never see.
It's helped me grow as a person.”
Francis said he chose health administration because of his interest in healthcare and the chance to build toward life after basketball. “I've always been interested in healthcare and wanted to study something that impacts my life directly. It felt like a great foundation - something I'm genuinely passionate about learning, and something I can continue to build on as I venture into business after basketball.”
Looking ahead, he said, “I want to do as much as possible. Healthcare is a big interest - I want to understand how I can personally make an impact on the system and help make people's lives easier.
I also want to get into real estate and continue building on the business side. Ultimately, I want to grow my brand and put myself in a position to take care of my family and the people around me.”
When asked about his favorite Rutgers basketball moment, Francis pointed to “The game-winner against Penn. That was a high-energy moment right before Christmas break - celebrating with the team, the coaches, the fans. Going into that break feeling like that was something special.”
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