KANSAS CITY, Mo. - IUPUI basketball standout
D.J. McCall was named among the 69 nominees for the National Association of Basketball Coaches (NABC) Give Back Team, recognizing 10 men's college basketball players for their outstanding community service efforts on Thursday (Apr. 19). McCall is coming off a season in which he averaged 7.0 points, 4.2 rebounds and 2.0 assists per game while starting 27 times for the Jaguars. However, it's been his work in the classroom and outside the lines that made him a nominee for the Give Back Team award.
McCall completed his undergraduate work in three years and is now in his first year of graduate studies as he pursues a degree in Sports Analytics. He's on track to earn his M.S. degree in nine semesters. In addition, he mentors high school students in the Informatics Diversity-Enhanced Workforce (iDEW) program, helping high schoolers learn more about computer technology.
The Fort Wayne-native has also been active with the Jags Reading Club, reading to elementary aged students, and the on-campus IUPUI Paws Pantry food bank. On an IUPUI road trip to Detroit, McCall and his teammates took part in a Playworks initiative, spending time with local youths in a playful environment, while also teaching about bullying.
The 2018 Give Back Team includes five student-athletes from NCAA Division I and five from NCAA Division II and III and NAIA Division I and II.
The NCAA Division I honorees were Shawn Anderson (Navy), Brian Dawkins (Elon), Justin Johnson (Western Kentucky), Desmond Ringer (Mercer) and Osinachi Smart (College of Charleston).
The NCAA Division II-III and NAIA selections were Alec Andrews (California Institute of Technology), Seth Hawley (Arkansas Fort Smith), Ryan Maha (Carnegie Mellon), Nick Mutebi (Wayne State) and Tyler Robinson (Lyon College).
"The NABC Give Back Team provides an opportunity to recognize the exceptional selfless humanitarian acts performed by men's college basketball student-athletes," said NABC Executive Director Jim Haney. "The 10 young men selected for this honor have made significant contributions to assist those in need while helping lift the human spirit."
"D.J.'s not the kind of person who does community service and mentoring because he has to or to win awards. He does it because he understands how important it is to give back and to share your talents," head coach
Jason Gardner said. "He's a leader in our program and sets the example of how to do things the right way. I know the younger guys look up to him and strive to be like him in a lot of respects. He's going to finish his career with two degrees and he's going to have a really good senior season for us next year. I'm really proud of him."
Listed below are all of the nominees for the 2018 NABC Give Back Team:
| First Name |
Last Name |
Class |
Pos. |
College/University |
Hometown |
|
| Grayson |
Allen |
Sr. |
G |
Duke |
Jacksonville |
FL |
| Shawn |
Anderson |
So. |
G |
Navy |
New Castle |
PA |
| Alec |
Andrews |
So. |
G |
California Institute of Technology |
Folsom |
CA |
| Paris |
Ballinger |
Sr. |
G |
South Carolina Aiken |
Atlanta |
GA |
| Frank |
Bartley |
Sr. |
G |
Louisiana-Lafayette |
Baton Rouge |
LA |
| Trae |
Bell-Haynes |
Sr. |
G |
Vermont |
Toronto |
ONT |
| Leron |
Black |
Grad. |
F |
Illinois |
Memphis |
TN |
| Jake |
Caudle |
Jr. |
G |
John Brown |
Bentonville |
AR |
| Tyler |
Clement |
Grad. |
G |
Creighton |
Shawnee |
KS |
| Jack |
Daly |
Sr. |
G |
Middlebury College |
Eastchester |
NY |
| Brian |
Dawkins |
Sr. |
F |
Elon University |
Jacksonville |
FL |
| Tas |
Dixon |
Sr. |
G |
Washington College |
Ardmore |
PA |
| Joseph |
Downes |
So. |
G |
Rutgers |
Sandwich |
MA |
| Nathan |
Ekwu |
Sr. |
F |
Davidson College |
Enugu |
Nigeria |
| Mike |
Fischer |
So. |
G |
Penn State University Behrend |
Wexford |
PA |
| Jesse |
Flannery |
Sr. |
G |
Johns Hopkins |
Lewisburg |
PA |
| Will |
Gates Jr. |
Grad. |
G |
Houston Baptist |
Selma |
TX |
| Cobe |
Goosby |
Sr. |
G |
Arkansas Monticello |
Elba |
AL |
| Devonte' |
Graham |
Sr. |
G |
Kansas |
Raleigh |
NC |
| Rob |
Gray |
Sr. |
G |
Houston |
Forest City |
NC |
| Jaire |
Grayer |
Jr. |
G |
George Mason |
Flint |
MI |
| Marquis |
Grays |
Sr. |
G |
University |
Huntsville |
AL |
| Khadim |
Gueye |
So. |
F |
South Carolina |
Dakar, Senegal |
NA |
| Jared |
Harper |
So. |
G |
Auburn |
Mapleton |
GA |
| Seth |
Hawley |
So. |
G |
Arkansas Fort Smith |
Fort Smith |
AR |
| Carlon |
Holder |
So. |
G |
Southeastern University |
Clermont |
FL |
| TJ |
Holyfield |
Jr. |
F |
Stephen F. Austin |
Albuquerque |
NM |
| Martins |
Igbanu |
So. |
F |
Tulsa |
Lagos |
Nigeria |
| Justin |
Johnson |
Grad. |
G |
Western Kentucky |
Hazard |
KY |
| Isaac |
Johnson |
So. |
F |
Appalachian State |
Charlotte |
NC |
| Jorden |
Kite |
Jr. |
G |
Incarnate Word |
San Antonio |
TX |
| Isaiah |
Lamb |
Jr. |
F |
Marist |
Baltimore |
MD |
| Marcus |
Lee |
Sr. |
F |
California |
Antioch |
CA |
| Trevor |
Lucas |
Sr. |
G |
Anderson University (IN) |
Brownsburg |
IN |
| Christian |
Mackey |
Sr. |
F |
Denver |
Kirtland |
NM |
| Ryan |
Maha |
Sr. |
G |
Carnegie Mellon |
West Mifflin |
PA |
| Terance |
Mann |
Jr. |
G |
Florida State |
Lowell |
MA |
| D.J. |
McCall |
Jr. |
G |
IUPUI |
Fort Wayne |
IN |
| Brendon |
McCullough |
Sr. |
G |
Willamette |
San Antonio |
TX |
| Scott |
Meredith |
Jr. |
G |
Saint Francis |
Pilot Mountain |
NC |
| Sam |
Merrill |
So. |
G |
Utah State |
Bountiful |
UT |
| Matt |
Meyer |
Sr. |
G |
Coe College |
Mason City |
IA |
| Aaron |
Moesch |
Sr. |
F |
Wisconsin |
Green Bay |
WI |
| Trey |
Moses |
Jr. |
C |
Ball State |
Louisville |
KY |
| Brandon |
Murphy-Blackmon |
Sr. |
C |
Indiana State |
Montgomery |
AL |
| Nick |
Mutebi |
Sr. |
F |
Wayne State |
Farmington Hills |
MI |
| Andrew |
Myers |
So. |
G |
Ohio Valley |
Parkersburg |
WV |
| Forrest |
Nettles |
Sr. |
C |
DePauw |
Eureka |
MO |
| Michael |
Nzei |
Sr. |
F |
Seton Hall |
Makurdi |
Nigeria |
| Albert |
Owens |
Grad. |
C |
Oral Roberts |
Cedar Hill |
TX |
| Marcellis |
Perkins |
Jr. |
G |
Holy Cross |
Chesapeake |
VA |
| Justin |
Porter |
So. |
G |
Montclair State |
Ewing |
NJ |
| Mason |
Ramsey |
Grad. |
F |
Tennessee Tech |
Livingston |
TN |
| Desmond |
Ringer |
Sr. |
F |
Mercer |
McDonough |
GA |
| Tyler |
Robinson |
So. |
F |
Lyon College |
Bentonville |
AR |
| Joe |
Schwartz |
Sr. |
G |
Texas |
Waco |
TX |
| TJ |
Shorts II |
Jr. |
G |
UC Davis |
Tustin |
CA |
| Keenan |
Simmons |
Sr. |
F |
SIUE |
Michigan City |
IN |
| Colin |
Slater |
So. |
G |
Tulane |
New Orleans |
LA |
| Osinachi |
Smart |
So. |
C |
College of Charleston |
Umuahia |
Nigeria |
| Austin |
Sparks |
Sr. |
F |
South Dakota |
Denver |
CO |
| Stephen |
Thompson Jr. |
Jr. |
G |
Oregon State |
Los Angeles |
CA |
| B.J. |
Tyson |
Sr. |
G |
East Carolina |
Wadesboro |
NC |
| Kevin |
Vannatta |
Sr. |
G |
UNC Asheville |
Upper Arlington |
OH |
| Isaiah |
Wilkins |
Sr. |
F |
Virginia |
Lilburn |
GA |
| Johnathan |
Williams |
Sr. |
F |
Gonzaga |
Memphis |
TN |
| Alec |
Willis |
Sr. |
G |
St. Joseph's College (Brooklyn) |
Staten Island |
NY |
| Brent |
Wrapp |
Sr. |
G |
CSU Bakersfield |
Boulder |
CO |
