BCAM's Post-Season Awards: All you need to know.. - Basketball Coaches Association of Michigan

BCAM’s Post-Season Awards: All you need to know..

January 31, 2024

Every spring, BCAM gives out hundreds of awards to High School Varsity Players and Teams at the end of the basketball season. This article is meant to help explain each award to coaches and describe the process for nomination and selection. Past winners of all BCAM Player/Team Awards can be viewed at our website under the AWARDS ARCHIVE tab.

COLLEGE COACHES: Scroll to bottom to see awards available to College Teams and Coaches

When published (after February 15), the nomination forms for all of these awards are located on the BCAM website under the NOMINATION FORMS tab. All deadlines mentioned below will be strictly enforced.

BCAM’s BEST

What is it? The BCAM’s BEST award was formerly known as BCAM’s All-State Teams. However because some of the state’s best players were not being nominated by their coaches (either the coach was not a BCAM member, or the coach just didn’t nominate the player) the BCAM Board of Directors decided in 2007 to change the award to “BCAM’s BEST”.

BCAM’s BEST recognizes the top 20 players for both boys and girls in each high school division (1,2,3,4) for a total of 160 players being recognized. An additional group of players are also named to “Honorable Mention” for each division. There is no limit to the number of players who can be named to Honorable Mention.

New in 2010 was the addition of a recognition called “Best of the BEST”. Before choosing BCAM’s BEST, the committee will first select approximately 10 Boys and approximately 10 Girls regardless of division to name to “Best of the BEST” (similar to a Dream Team). These players will not be part of the players selected for BCAM’s BEST.

How do you get it? BCAM member varsity coaches must login to the BCAM website and fill out an online nomination form for their best player(s). A maximum of 6 players from any one high school can be nominated (3 boys and 3 girls). Varsity players of any grade level are eligible.

The selection of “BCAM’s BEST”, “Best of the BEST”, and Honorable Mention is made by the Chairmen of the BCAM’s BEST Committees and the 15 Regional Directors for both boys and girls.

MAKE SURE YOU GET A CONFIRMATION EMAIL! After completing an online nomination form, you will automatically be sent a confirmation email. KEEP this confirmation email until after the awards are announced as your insurance that we received your nomination. If you do not receive a confirmation, we probably did not receive your nomination.

What do you get? Winners of “BCAM’s BEST” as well as “Honorable Mention” will receive a certificate emailed to their coach. Winners of “Best of the BEST” will receive a plaque mailed to their school.

Nomination period:
Girls: 3/3 – 4/1/24
Boys: 2/25 – 4/1/24

Individual Academic All-State

What is it? BCAM names JUNIOR and SENIOR players (grades 11 and 12 only) to the BCAM Individual Academic All-State list based on the player’s basketball achievements AND their GPA. Winners must meet two criteria: 1. Have a cumulative GPA of 3.5 or above without rounding up, 2. Be named to at least one of these four All-State team lists (including Honorable Mention): Detroit Free Press, Detroit News, A.P., or BCAM’s BEST. There is no “selection process” for this award. Either players meet the two criteria or they don’t.

How do you get it? BCAM Member coaches must fill out an online nomination form located on the BCAM website under the NOMINATION FORMS tab. Cumulative GPA MUST include GPA from 9^th grade through the FIRST SEMESTER or FIRST TRIMESTER (depending on your school) of the current school year. There is no limit to the number of players from a team that a coach can nominate as long as they qualify.

Coaches are required to submit the nomination form by April 1st which may be BEFORE any of these All-State lists are published. If the player does not end up being on an All-State list after all, then he/she will not be named to BCAM’s Individual Academic All-State. (We will check the four all-state lists to make sure the player appears at least once).

What do you get? Winners receive a certificate which will be emailed to the head varsity coach.

Nomination period: February 16 – April 1.

Team Academic All-State

What is it? This award is based purely on the ACADEMIC “record” of the team and has nothing to do with your win-loss record.

How do you get it? BCAM Member coaches must login to the BCAM website and fill out the online nomination form with the cumulative GPA and number of high school credits attempted by every eligible player on the team. Eligible team players are those who were on the varsity squad for at least 10 regular season games AND on the varsity team for the State Tournament. Do not include ANY players from the JV team, including those who have “played up” during the season for “5th Quarter” or other reasons. Cumulative GPA MUST include GPA from 9^th grade through the most recently completed SEMESTER / TRIMESTER (depending on your school) of the current school year. (Any player with an individual GPA above 4.0 will be figured as a 4.0 for the purposes of this award).

What formula do we use? BCAM will figure the average weighted GPA for the team by multiplying each player’s GPA by their total number of attempted credits. These totals for each of the players will be added together and then divided by the total number of TEAM credits attempted. The resulting number will be the Average Weighted Team GPA. The BCAM member coach must include the cumulative GPA’s, and cumulative credits ATTEMPTED, of ALL players on their roster who meet these qualifications.

MAKE SURE YOU GET A CONFIRMATION EMAIL! After completing an online nomination form, coaches will automatically be sent a confirmation email. KEEP this confirmation email as your insurance that we received your nomination in case there are any questions later. If you do not receive a confirmation, we probably did not receive your nomination.

What do you get? ALL teams with a weighted team average of 3.3 or higher in each Division (1, 2, 3, 4) will be named as “Team Academic All-State”. Teams with a weighted team average between 3.0 and 3.29999 will be named as “Honorable Mention”. The top team in each division will receive a plaque for their achievement and all teams above 3.0 will receive a certificate emailed to the coach which can be reproduced and given to each player if desired.

Nomination period: Girls and Boys: February 16 – April 1.

Top Shooters Award (and Top Shooters Challenge)

What is it? The Top Shooters Award celebrates excellence in four categories: Individual Free Throw Percentage, Individual 3 Point Shooting Percentage, Team Free Throw Percentage and Team 3 Point Shooting Percentage.

How do you get it? BCAM member coaches must login to the BCAM website and fill out an online nomination form for their Player(s) or Team. Coaches must list 1. date of contest, 2. shots made, and 3. shots attempted, for EACH regular season game. (Stats from preseason games and any district, regional, etc. game will NOT be accepted.) An INDIVIDUAL must have attempted at least 50 shots during the regular season to qualify and a TEAM must have attempted at least 100 shots.

Does my team/player have a high enough percentage to justify me nominating them? Take a look at the stats of past winners. The numbers change from year to year, but you can get an idea by looking. Past winners are found under AWARDS ARCHIVE in the main menu. Many years very few nominations come in for the Team categories.

MAKE SURE YOU GET A CONFIRMATION EMAIL! After completing an online nomination form, you will automatically be sent a confirmation email. KEEP this confirmation email as your insurance that we received your nomination. If you do not receive a confirmation, we probably did not receive your nomination.

What do you get? BCAM sends plaques to the top ten individual boys, boys’ teams, individual girls, and girls’ teams for a total of 80 awards given. These will be mailed in late April/early May.

Nomination period for Top Shooters AWARDS:
Girls: 3/3 – 4/1/24
Boys: 2/25 – 4/1/24

~~Top Shooters Challenge.~~ Will not be held in 2024 due to lack of facilities at the Breslin Center to hold our preliminary shooting rounds.

In addition to the Top Shooters Awards, the top 20 INDIVIDUALS (20 boys and 20 girls) in the Individual Free Throw and Individual 3 Point Shooting categories (WHOSE COACHES SUBMIT THEIR NOMINATION FORMS BY THE “Top Shooters Challenge” deadline) will be INVITED to take part in the “Top Shooters Challenge” during the girls’ or boys’ state finals.

What is the Top Shooters Challenge? During the boys’ and girls’ state finals, the top 20 players in each Individual Shooter Category (who have been nominated by the “TS Challenge” deadline) will be invited to come to the State Finals Games and compete to see who is the “best” FT and 3Pt Shooter. There will be a qualifying round and then the top two qualifiers will face off in a competiton during the half time of one of the state final games.

Nomination periods to be considered for the Top Shooters Challenge:
Girls: WILL NOT BE HELD IN 2024
Boys: WILL NOT BE HELD IN 2024

ALL potential participants of the Top Shooters Challenge & Top Shooters Awards will need to confirm the stats they have sent in. After the nomination deadline, if a player/team is a potential winner, the head coach will receive an email from BCAM asking them to verify the stats that they submitted. Please keep your stats handy after the season ends so if you are asked, you will be able to verify the numbers.

Team First Award

What is it? The Team First award is given to high school varsity and college varsity team members. One person per varsity team is eligible for this award. Each varsity coach may choose ONE Member (player, manager, assistant coach, etc) from their team to receive a certificate from BCAM. Team First winners should be the person from the team who most demonstrates “putting team before self, teamwork, commitment, service and sacrifice”.

How do you get it? BCAM member coaches must login to the BCAM website and fill out an online form for their chosen team member. Certificates will be emailed to the head varsity coach. There is no selection process by BCAM for this award, the head coach of each team selects his/her winner.

What do you get? The one team member chosen by their coach will receive a certificate emailed to their coach.

Nomination period: February 16 – April 1.

Outstanding Senior Student-Athlete Award

What is it? The Outstanding Senior Student-Athlete award celebrates the student-athlete who has committed to longevity in athletics as well as maintaining outstanding academic achievement. The athletic “prowess” of the student does not play a factor in earning this award.

How do you get it? BCAM member coaches must login to the BCAM website and fill out an online form for their eligible player(s). BCAM member coaches may nominate ALL seniors on their team who have 1. played basketball ALL 4 years of high school on any school team (varsity, JV, etc) and 2. have achieved a cumulative GPA of 3.8 or above. (You may NOT round up your GPA to reach 3.8 status). There is no selection process by BCAM for this award, everyone on the team who meets the criteria and is nominated by the coach will receive a certificate.

What do you get? Players who meet all criteria mentioned above will receive a certificate emailed to their coach.

MAKE SURE YOU GET A CONFIRMATION EMAIL! After submitting the nomination form, you will be sent a confirmation email. KEEP this confirmation email as your insurance that we received your nomination. If you do not receive a confirmation, we probably did not receive your nomination.

Nomination period: February 16 – April 1

College Awards

1. College Academic-Athletic Honor Team

What is it? Each BCAM Academic-Athletic Honor Team pays tribute to five outstanding scholar-athletes from Michigan colleges and universities at the NCAA I, NCAA II, NCAA III, and NAIA levels.

How do I get it? To be eligible, players must be nominated by their BCAM member coach, be either a starter or an important reserve, have reached sophomore standing, have participated in at least 50% of the team’s games, and have at least a 3.0 GPA. The BCAM teams are selected on the basis of academic achievement, athletic accomplishments, and extra-curricular activities.

What do you get? Plaques are mailed to the coach of the 5 men and 5 women who are selected.

Nomination period: February 16 – April 1.

2. Team First Award – see above under high school awards

Coaching Awards

Regional and State Coach of the Year (high school varsity)

What is it? BCAM member head varsity coaches are eligible for Regional Coach of the Year at the end of each season. Regional Directors will send 4-8 nominations to the BCAM office at the end of each basketball season. Ballots will be emailed to all “actively coaching” BCAM members to vote upon head varsity coaches in their Region. Voters will choose a first, second, and third place coach for Regional Coach of the Year. Ballots will be tallied on a 5-3-1 “points” basis. There will be a Boy’s Head Coach and a Girl’s Head Coach winner from each of the 15 BCAM regions. The winners will receive their plaque at the annual Hall of Fame Banquet in October in conjunction with the BCAM Coaches Clinic.

State and Overall Coaches of the Year are decided by the Boy’s and Girl’s Coach of the Year Committees. Winners may or may not also be Regional winners. These coaches of the year will be named for Overall, Division 1, Division 2, Division 3 and Division 4 for both boys and girls. State/Overall Coaches of the Year may not win the same award more than once within a three year span. Winners will receive their plaques at the Hall of Fame Banquet as mentioned above.

How do I get it? Send your High School Varsity Coach of the Year nominations to your Regional Director before the State Finals each spring if you have a coach you think is deserving to be on the ballot for Regional Coach of the Year. You may nomimate yourself if you wish. The final ballot names are ultimately determined by the Regional Directors, COY Committee Chair, and the BCAM Executive Director. The contact list of Regional Directors is located on the BCAM website under “About BCAM”.

College Coach of the Year

Two women’s coaches and two men’s coaches are selected annually for BCAM’s College Coaches of the Year–one each from a four year and a two year institution. Winners are selected by BCAM’s College Regional Directors. Selected coaches MUST be BCAM members coaching in Michigan. Awards are given at the annual Hall of Fame Banquet the following fall. Coaches may not win the same award more than once within a three year span.