IOWA FALLS, IOWA -- Ellsworth Community College had 5 men's basketball players from the 2023-24 national tournament squad earn All-Academic Awards from the National Junior College Athletic Association. Christopher Willis earned the highest honor, a spot on the All-Academic 1st Team with a grade point average of 4.00.  Clavance Alvares and Clinton Efinda were on the NJCAA All-Academic 2nd Team, which recognizes student-athletes who had grade point averages between 3.80 and 3.99. Andrew Bicknese and Jaron Crews had a GPA between 3.60 and 3.79 and earned 3rd Team honors.

The Panthers' men's basketball team was also named an NJCAA Academic Team of the Year for its overall grade point average of 3.24, which was the 15th-highest GPA for a men's basketball team in the nation.

For the 2023-24 academic year, ECC had 6 of its athletic teams named an NJCAA Academic Team of the Year for the squad's overall GPA above 3.0.  A total of 44 Panthers in 8 different sports met the criteria to be named to the All-Academic Teams.