MACU Senior Guard Malcolm Mann Receives GP4L Character Award at NCCAA Annual Convention

June 2nd, 2017

LOUISVILLE, KY– Mid-America Christian University men’s basketball senior guard Malcolm Mann’s on-court accolades have been well documented, but his transcendent impact off the court is now being recognized in a big way as he has been awarded the National Christian College Athletic Association (NCCAA) Game Plan 4 Life (GP4L) Male Student-Athlete Character award.

Mann was presented the award at the Hall of Fame Banquet as part of the NCCAA Annual Convention on June 1 in Louisville, Ky.

To be considered for the award, student-athletes had to consistently demonstrate love, integrity, faith and excellence within college athletics, their campus and their community.

“It humbles me to receive this incredible award of character from an organization I deeply cherish,” Mann said. “To be recognized by the NCCAA in this fashion is an incredible honor. I am forever grateful to them and to MACU for the opportunities that have been given to me. God is so good!”

This is not the first honor Mann has received for his outstanding character. He also earned MACU’s first-ever “Heart of Evangel” award last year.

“I am unapologetically biased, but I cannot imagine a finer young man to represent the NCCAA’s core values than Malcolm Mann,” said MACU Athletic Director Marcus Moeller. “Simply put, the story of Mid-America Christian University and our athletic department is far better off today than when Malcolm first arrived on campus.”

As the men’s basketball head coach, Josh Gamblin had the best seat in the house for Mann’s buzzer-beating, game-winning shot that propelled the Evangels to their first-ever NAIA National Championship last season.

But its clear Gamblin appreciates everything about Mann that goes far beyond the hardwood.

“I cannot put into words what Malcolm has meant to me and our program,” Gamblin said. “To say he is special would be an extreme understatement. He is mature well beyond his years and what he has done for our campus and program is historic to say the least. He is the perfect representative for the NCCAA and the GP4L award.”

In addition to hitting one of the most famous shots in school history, Mann also recorded a single-season record (as an NAIA school) 184 assists last year and finished his career with 338 assists, the fourth most for the Evangels as an NAIA program.

Mann’s off-the-court endeavors have included interning at Frito-Lay in Flint, Mich., where he served the community affected by the Flint water crisis. He also became the first-ever basketball player at MACU to become president of the Student Government Association.

Mann graduated this May and plans to return to MACU in the fall to work on his graduate degree.