Photo Credit: CoolestCoast.com
The Wisconsin Basketball Coaches Association has announced its 2025 Boys and Girls Basketball Team and Individual Academic All-State awards.
The Manitowoc Lincoln Boys Basketball team ranked second among Division One teams with a cumulative grade point average of 3.628.
Head Coach Shane Evans says this is quite an achievement for these boys.
“I know we have a great group of guys who get it done in the classroom,” he said proudly. “It’s nice to see that they take the message to heart regarding preaching to apply effort and energy not only on the court but in the classroom as well.”
Speaking with SeehaferNews.com, Evans says that in the ever-changing landscape of basketball where money, including NIL (name-image and likeness) benefits are paid out to high school students in 33 states (not Wisconsin), the importance of earning an education has been diminished and somewhat overlooked.
“We (as teachers) know that you really love the game of basketball. It’s our job to use basketball as a tool to motivate kids to strive to be the best they can be in the classroom,” he explained. “You can’t play the game if you don’t succeed in the classroom. It’s really the perfect marriage.”
Statistics show that just two to two-to-three percent of high school athletes participate in sports collegiately, while even less than that play sports professionally.
Evans says it’s imperative that student-athletes prioritize their goals to succeed in the “bigger game of life.”
“I say a lot of times to my players, I care a lot more about your life than I do about the game of basketball, and I love basketball,” he said. “I want kids to be prepared to find success in whatever they choose to do once they graduate.”
Click here for a complete list of girls athletes that received individual academic accolades from the WBCA and click here for the boys list.
