Photo: Michael Wong Sophomore guard Alec Andrews (Folsom, Calif. / Folsom) of the Caltech men’s basketball team has been named to the National Association of Basketball Coaches Give Back Team. The NABC Give Back Team recognizes unique men’s basketball student-athletes who stand out for their charitable and community involvement. The Give Back Team features five […]
Photo: Michael Wong
Sophomore guard Alec Andrews (Folsom, Calif. / Folsom) of the Caltech men’s basketball team has been named to the National Association of Basketball Coaches Give Back Team.
The NABC Give Back Team recognizes unique men’s basketball student-athletes who stand out for their charitable and community involvement. The Give Back Team features five student-athletes from NCAA Division I and five from NCAA Division II, NCAA Division III and the NAIA.
Andrews, a sophomore captain for the men’s basketball team this season, received the nomination for his high character on and off the floor in addition to his work as a Global Ambassador for the Team Type 1 Foundation. Team Type 1 fights for the right to live and for equal access to education for everyone affected by type 1 diabetes. As a global ambassador, Andrews strives to utilize his platform as an NCAA athlete diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes to educate others about the disease, and empower the younger generation by showing them that they can achieve anything and that a disease does not need to hold them back from accomplishing their goals. Each year, Andrews participates in outreach events where he discusses his personal experiences from living with Type 1 as well as the mission of Team Type 1.
“It’s a tremendous honor,” Andrews said. “I never think about the things I do as far as awards go but it’s very cool to be recognized for something like this especially on this stage among all these teams. I can’t say I’m not proud.”
In addition to his work with Team Type 1, Andrews tutors younger students in his free time at home, with the aim of showing them the importance of work ethic at a young age. The sophomore also works with aspiring basketball players on the fundamentals of the game, putting them through drills that they can take home and work on to hone their skills.
“We are thrilled that Alec has been recognized for such a prestigious honor,” Head Coach Dr. Oliver Eslinger said. “He exemplifies leadership in all he does on and off the court, and for him to be named to this team as a sophomore shows his extraordinary character and caring for others way beyond basketball.”
Andrews is not the first Caltech player to be recognized by the NABC. The Give Back Team, formerly known as the Good Works Team featured then-junior guard Rob Anderson ’16 back in 2015. The very next year, Eslinger received the prestigious Guardian of the Game honor from the NABC. The men’s basketball program is also routinely recognized by the association with the Team Academic Excellence Award.
The sophomore finished the 2017-18 season as one of three Beavers to average double-figures and led the SCIAC in assists per game while finishing third in steals per game and posting the second-highest single-season assist total in school history. Andrews’ on-ball defense lent itself to the Beavers finishing second in the conference in team steals. He also shot 35-percent from three against conference teams. With two top-10 assists seasons in the Caltech record books, Andrews is well on pace to become the program’s assists king by the end of his senior year.
