Gonzaga’s Corey Kispert joins NABC’s Player Development Coalition

There’s a lot going on in college basketball these days and Gonzaga’s Corey Kispert wants to be involved on and off the floor.

Kispert is one of 11 Division I men’s players on the newly-created National Association of Basketball Coaches (NABC) Player Development Coalition.

The coalition gives student-athletes an opportunity to address issues facing college basketball and afford members professional and personal development experiences, according to the NABC.

Kispert, a two-time WCC All-Academic selection, is regarded as a team leader and vocal presence on the court. He recently announced he was withdrawing from the NBA draft to return for his senior season.

“Being part of the PDC has the potential to be one of the biggest highlights of my college career,” said Kispert, a finalist for the Julius Erving Small Forward of the Year Award last season. “We can’t wait to work to give players a stronger voice throughout all of basketball.”

The coalition will meet quarterly as well as be in frequent contact with the NABC board of directors and NCAA committees.

“Our priority as coaches is to support student-athlete development both on and off the court,” said NABC executive director Craig Robinson, former head coach at Oregon State. “As the NABC continues its advocacy and policy work on issues, impacting our game, it’s vital that input from student-athletes be central to those efforts.

“Whether it’s NIL (name, image and likeness), transfer parameters, social justice, COVID-19 or a host of other important topics, we will make sure student-athletes’ voices are heard.”

Kispert earned All-WCC first-team honors after averaging 13.9 points, 4 rebounds and 2.1 assists last season. He led the team with 78 3-pointers and 43.8% accuracy behind the arc.

Kispert was named the Division I-AAA (D-I schools that don’t sponsor football) men’s basketball scholar-athlete of the year. He carries a 3.43 grade-point average in business administration.

Kispert is joined on the coalition by North Carolina’s Armando Bacot, Colorado’s Evan Battey, Harvard’s Kale Catchings, Kentucky’s Keion Brooks Jr., Michigan State’s Joshua Langford, Villanova’s Collin Gillespie, TCU’s RJ Nembhard, Syracuse’s Bourama Sidibe, Duke’s Wendell Moore Jr. and High Point’s John-Michael Wright.