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By KEVIN ECKLEBERRY

Daily News

Lincoln Anderson, a LaGrange Academy graduate and a rising senior on the LaGrange College men’s basketball team, has made the National Association of Basketball Coaches 2019-2020 honors court.

Anderson is the only member of the LaGrange College basketball team to earn the honor.

To be eligible, a student-athlete has to be a junior or senior, he had to have a cumulative grade point average of 3.2 or higher for the 2019-2020 academic year, he must have spent at least one season at his current school, and he must attend an NCAA or NAIA institution.

Anderson, a psychology major, has thrived on and off the court at LaGrange College since arriving as a freshman in 2017.

Anderson was a key contributor for the Panthers as a freshman and a sophomore, and he stepped up and was the team’s second-leading scorer last season.

Anderson played nearly 30 minutes per game last season while averaging 13.6 points and making 60 percent of his shot attempts, and he also pulled down seven rebounds a game.

Beyond basketball, Anderson has succeeded in the class room while taking on a leadership role in the school.

Anderson, who attended Callaway High before transferring to LaGrange Academy for his junior season, has enjoyed being a part of the LaGrange College family.

“Being on a small campus, I’m able to have more opportunities on the campus, and in the community,” Anderson said. “I can be an athlete, and also be in different organizations on campus that will help me build my resume, or just be involved. I have enjoyed it a lot. If we go back for the fall semester, hopefully, it’ll be just as awesome, and I’ll learn just as much. I’ve enjoyed it a lot.”

LaGrange College is scheduled to begin its season on Nov. 13 against Christopher Newport in the Lynchburg Classic.

The Panthers are looking to bounce back from a challenging 2019-2020 season when they went 7-18 and lost a bunch of close games.

“Some games we would be winning the first half, and fatigue would start setting in, and something wouldn’t go our way, and we’d lose it at the end,” Anderson said. “I think everybody knows we have to come back, and everybody has to grow up just a little bit more, and everybody has to do a little more than the previous year. I have trust in everybody to come back and give a little more than they did this year, to win more games, and win a conference championship.”

TEAM HONOR: Lincoln Anderson wasn’t the only LaGrange College player who excelled in the class room.

This week, the National Association of Basketball Coaches announced the Team Academic Excellence Awards, and LaGrange College was one of the teams honored.

To be eligible for the award, a team had to have a cumulative grade point average of 3.0 or better for the 2019-2020 school year.

The Panthers were one of two teams in the USA South to earn the honor.