KANSAS CITY, Mo. – WKU senior Justin Johnson has been named to the 2018 NABC Give Back Team, as announced by the National Association of Basketball Coaches on Thursday. The association recognizes 10 men's college basketball players for their outstanding community service efforts.
Johnson, a Hazard, Ky., native, was one of the five Division I student-athletes to be selected from a pool of 69 players nominated by basketball staff across the country. The other five student-athletes on the team are from Division II and III and NAIA Division I and II programs.
The forward has earned numerous community service awards throughout his time on The Hill, including back-to-back Conference USA Winter Spirit of Service Awards and being one of five seniors named to the 2018 Senior CLASS Award First Team.
Johnson has been a staple of the community since he arrived at WKU. He's taken multiple mission trips to Belize and China, where he's spent time with underprivileged children in addition to playing games. He did the same this August in Costa Rica, where he played with children at a local orphanage during WKU's foreign tour.
Johnson has also volunteered to work with senior citizens at Bowling Green Retirement Village, spoken at youth basketball games during the playing season, visited with special needs children from the city's Camp Happy Days in previous years and volunteered several times for the United Way Day of Caring, including time with the area Boys & Girls Club.
"The NABC Give Back Team provides an opportunity to recognize the exceptional selfless humanitarian acts performed by men's college basketball student-athletes," said NABC Executive Director Jim Haney. "The 10 young men selected for this honor have made significant contributions to assist those in need while helping lift the human spirit."
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