The No. 1-ranked Hope College women’s basketball team stands with the nation’s elite in the classroom as well.
The Flying Dutch have earned their spot on the 2020-21 Women’s Basketball Coaches Association Academic Top 25 with a 3.655 team grade point average.
The WBCA Academic Top 25 recognizes NCAA Division I, II, and III, NAIA, and two-year college women’s basketball teams across the nation that carry the highest combined GPAs inclusive of all student-athletes on their rosters for the entire season.
Led by head coach Brian Morehouse, Hope finished the 2020-21 season ranked No. 1 in the final D3hoops.com poll and unbeaten for the second consecutive season with a 16-0 overall record.
The Flying Dutch won both the Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association regular-season and tournament titles.
Hope extended its win streak to a school-record 45 games — which also is the eighth longest in Division III history.
“This 2020-2021 team’s academic accomplishment is another indication of a daily pursuit of excellence in every facet of their lives,” Morehouse said. “The team has a diverse representation of majors including nursing, social work, engineering, education, English, business/economics, and exercise science.
“The time management it takes to excel in the classroom, and on the court will serve the women well as they graduate into jobs or graduate school programs. In addition, each of our graduates was employed or accepted into graduate school before the end of the academic year.”
Added WBCA Executive Director Danielle Donehew, “Congratulations to each of the teams recognized in the 2020-21 WBCA Academic Top 25. Their head coaches are to be commended for fostering an environment of excellence for their student-athletes both on the court and, more importantly, in the classroom; particularly with the additional stress this season caused by the uncertainty resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic."