Haws named a nominee for NABC Allstate Good Works Team

INDIANAPOLIS – For the second-straight year, BYU senior guard Tyler Haws has been named a nominee for the National Association of Basketball Coaches Allstate Good Works Team.

The Allstate Good Works Team is a prestigious community service award that recognizes a distinguished group of student-athletes who have demonstrated a commitment to enriching the lives of others and contributing to the greater good in their communities.

A native of Alpine, Utah, Haws has been a leader in the community and a role model for young fans during his time at BYU. Following his freshman season, he served a two-year mission for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in the Philippines. Following the devastating 2013 Bohol earthquake in the Philippines, Haws made a Youtube video to encourage others to donate to the relief efforts.

Haws also speaks regularly at schools and to church youth groups throughout the area about making positive choices, saying no to drugs and doing the right thing. He traveled as far as Idaho, California and Washington to speak to youth groups during the summers. Haws has volunteered his time visiting a school for handicap children and spending time teaching them about the game of basketball. He also has visited children with cancer and disabilities in their homes and schools.

On the court, Haws has become one of the best players in the country, earning a spot on the preseason top 50 for the Wooden Award and the Naismith Trophy. He is averaging 23.8 points per game this season and is currently fourth all-time in scoring in BYU history.

View the list of nominees at NABC.org.

College sports information directors and basketball coaches across the country nominated players who exhibit exceptional leadership skills and an unwavering commitment to volunteerism. From the 158 NABC nominees and 93 WBCA nominees, distinguished voting panels will select two 10-member teams comprised of five student-athletes from the NCAA® Division I level and five student-athletes from NCAA Divisions II, III and the NAIA. The final roster of 20 award recipients will be unveiled in February. 

“The accomplishments of student-athletes extend far beyond successes achieved on the court, and Allstate is proud to recognize this exceptional group of young men and women for the positive impact they are making in their communities,” said Pam Hollander, vice president of marketing for Allstate Insurance Company and a member of the 2015 NABC and WBCA Good Works Teams® selection panels. “Their stories of powerful and selfless acts, shared by SIDs and coaches across the nation, represent the best of collegiate student-athletes and serve as an inspiration to us all.” 

For the third year, the Allstate NABC and WBCA Good Works Teams® help spotlight the off-the-court good works and service to others that often goes unnoticed and unrewarded. From creating organizations benefitting at-risk youth to volunteering overseas to help impoverished communities, there are countless remarkable stories of service among this year’s group of nominees. As full-time students and athletes, these players choose to dedicate their limited free time to improving the lives of those around them.

“The Allstate WBCA Good Works Team® is a prominent award that honors those student-athletes who serve the community,” said Danielle Donehew, executive director of the WBCA. “We celebrate the commitment these 93 nominees have made to their respective communities and we are grateful to Allstate for recognizing these individuals for their exceptional efforts.”  

Members of the Allstate NABC Good Works Team® will be invited by Allstate, an official corporate partner of the NCAA, to the 2015 NABC Convention and 2015 NCAA Men’s Final Four® in Indianapolis, where they will participate in a community project benefitting the host city. Members of the Allstate WBCA Good Works Team® will be recognized during the 2015 WBCA Convention and at the 2015 NCAA Women’s Final Four® in Tampa Bay, and will also participate in a local community project. Allstate is an official corporate partner of the NABC, WBCA and NCAA.

"In this third year of the Allstate NABC Good Works Team® program, we had an overwhelming response with 158 nominations for 2015," said NABC Executive Director Jim Haney. "There are so many young men and women in college basketball today who make extraordinary and selfless contributions locally, nationally and globally. This is a tremendous opportunity to not only recognize the best of the best but honor all of these student-athletes for their achievements away from the court."

Former Duke University student-athlete, two-time NCAA champion and seven-time NBA All-Star Grant Hill will headline the Allstate NABC Good Works Team® voting panel, while WNBA basketball star Tamika Catchings, who played at the University of Tennessee, will serve on the Allstate WBCA Good Works Team® panel. In addition to Hollander, Hill and Catchings, the 2015 Allstate NABC and WBCA Good Works Teams® selection panel members include: former college basketball student-athletes Greg Anthony (UNLV), Mateen Cleaves (Michigan State) and Alana Beard (Duke); former head coaches Bobby Cremins (College of Charleston), Seth Greenberg (Virginia Tech), Marsha Sharp (Texas Tech) and Nell Fortner (Auburn); current college basketball coach Coquese Washington (Penn State); and media members Seth Davis (Sports Illustrated/CBS), Dana O’Neil (ESPN), Carolyn Peck (ESPN) and LaChina Robinson (ESPN/FOX).

Since 2008, Allstate has worked with the American Football Coaches Association (AFCA) as sponsor of the Allstate AFCA Good Works Team®, which shines a spotlight on the positive, off-the-field impact college football student-athletes have on their communities. Through an arrangement with the AFCA, NABC and WBCA, Allstate has been able to expand the Good Works Team® to also recognize college basketball student-athletes at all levels who donate their time and effort to make a difference off the court. 

More information about the Allstate NABC Good Works Team® and the Allstate WBCA Good Works Team® is available at www.nabc.org and www.wbca.org. 

About the National Association of Basketball Coaches

Located in Kansas City, Missouri, the NABC was founded in 1927 by Forrest “Phog” Allen, the legendary basketball coach at the University of Kansas. Allen, a student of James Naismith, the inventor of basketball, organized coaches into this collective group to serve as Guardians of the Game. The NABC currently has nearly 5,000 members consisting primarily of university and college men’s basketball coaches. All members of the NABC are expected to uphold the core values of being a Guardian of the Game by bringing attention to the positive aspects of the sport of basketball and the role coaches play in the academic and athletic lives of today’s student-athletes. The four core values of being a Guardian of the Game are advocacy, leadership, service and education. Additional information about the NABC, its programs and membership, can be found at www.nabc.org.

About the Women’s Basketball Coaches Association

Founded in 1981, the Women's Basketball Coaches Association promotes women's basketball by unifying coaches at all levels to develop a reputable identity for the sport and to foster and promote the development of the game as a sport for women and girls. For more information on the WBCA, please visit www.wbca.org. 

About the AFCA

The AFCA was founded in 1922 and currently has more than 11,000 members around the world ranging from the high school level to the professional ranks. According to its constitution, the AFCA was formed, in part, to “maintain the highest possible standards in football and in the coaching profession” and to “provide a forum for the discussion and study of all matters pertaining to football.”

About the NCAA

The NCAA is a membership-led nonprofit association of colleges and universities committed to supporting academic and athletic opportunities for more than 460,000 student-athletes at more than 1,000 member colleges and universities. Each year, more than 54,000 student-athletes compete in NCAA championships in Divisions I, II and III sports. Visit www.ncaa.org and www.ncaa.com for more details about the Association, its goals and members and corporate partnerships that help support programs for student-athletes. 

About Allstate®

The Allstate Corporation (NYSE: ALL) is the nation’s largest publicly held personal lines insurer, protecting approximately 16 million households from life’s uncertainties through its Allstate, Encompass, Esurance and Answer Financial brand names and Allstate Financial business segment. Allstate is widely known through the slogan “You’re In Good Hands With Allstate®.” The Allstate brand’s network of small businesses offers auto, home, life and retirement products and services to customers in the United States and Canada. In 2013, The Allstate Foundation, Allstate, its employees and agency owners gave $29 million to support local communities. Allstate employees and agency owners donated 200,000 hours of service across the country.