Duke men's basketball's Wendell Moore Jr. selected to brand-new NABC Player Coalition

For decades, college athletes have struggled to get their voices heard. While that issue is still far from resolved, Monday morning's announcement is a step in the right direction.

The National Association of Basketball Coaches (NABC) announced the formation of the NABC Player Development Coalition, "a diverse collection of Division I men's basketball student-athletes that will provide valuable perspective and feedback on college basketball issues." Eleven student-athletes were selected to form the initial coalition, including Duke sophomore forward Wendell Moore Jr.

"I am honored to be named Duke's representative for the NABC Players Development Coalition," Moore said in the release. "This is a tremendous opportunity to have players' voices heard on the many pertinent issues facing college basketball. As a coalition, we are excited to become part of, not simply the recipients of the NCAA's decision-making process. We appreciate the NABC being forward-thinking in this regard. I am anxious to get started."

The coalition will meet quarterly and have "regular opportunities" to address the NABC Board of Directors and NCAA committees, while also providing student-athletes numerous professional and personal development experiences.

Besides Moore, the remaining members of the initial coalition include North Carolina's Armando Bacot, Colorado's Evan Battey, Kentucky's Keion Brooks Jr., Harvard's Kale Catchings, Villanova's Collin Gillespie, Gonzaga's Corey Kispert, Michigan State's Joshua Langford, TCU's RJ Nembhard, Syracuse's Bourama Sidibe and High Point's John-Michael Wright.

"Our priority as coaches is to support student-athlete development both on and off the court," NABC Executive Director Craig Robinson said in the release. "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, transfer parameters, social justice, COVID-19 or a host of other important topics currently impacting college basketball, we will make sure student-athletes' voices are heard. We will also structure the Player Development Coalition to be an impactful experience that benefits these young men well beyond their college years."