DALLAS – Conference USA tabbed five student-athletes to its 2025-26 CUSA Men’s Basketball All-Academic Teams Thursday afternoon. Five schools are represented with Liberty boasting a third-time winner, while Delaware, Missouri State, NM State and Sam Houston are highlighted as well.
 
Delaware guard Christian Bliss is pursuing his studies in sociology and owns a 3.83 GPA while flourishing in his first season for the Blue Hens. The redshirt freshman is third in CUSA during league play in scoring with 18.1 points per game and ranks first nationally in minutes per game with 39:54.
 
Liberty guard Colin Porter receives his third-consecutive all-academic nod while maintaining a 3.84 GPA. Porter graduated in May 2025 with a degree in Business Administration and is currently pursuing a certificate in Management and Leadership. The graduate guard is a 1,000-point scorer at Liberty and is averaging 11.8 points and 3.4 assists per game while shooting 91.8 percent from the line in 2025-26.
 
Missouri State forward Keith Palek III will graduate this summer with his Master of Business Administration and currently holds a 3.67 GPA. The graduate student from Woodbine, N.J., has started in all 29 games for the Bears and is second in CUSA during league play with 18.2 points per game. The star forward is also averaging 6.1 rebounds and 3.8 assists per game.
 
NM State forward Julius Mims has excelled on the court and in the classroom in his first season at NM State. He has maintained at least a 3.66 GPA since arriving to Las Cruces last summer in his pursuit of a Master’s degree in Communication Studies. The graduate transfer has become a key piece to the Aggie squad as he is nearly averaging a double-double in league play with 11.3 points and 9.9 rebounds per game.
 
Sam Houston forward Veljko Ilic owns a 3.75 GPA and is seeking to obtain his Master’s of Business Administration. The Serbia native graduated Cum Laude last year with a degree in Information Systems and Data Analytics. Ilic has been a force inside for the Bearkats this season, averaging 11.6 points, 6.7 rebounds and 2.2 assists per game with a 59.0 percent field goal percentage.

2025-26 Men's Basketball All-Academic Team
Christian Bliss, Delaware, R-Fr., 3.83 GPA, Sociology
Colin Porter, Liberty, Sr., 3.84 GPA, Business Administration³
Keith Palek III, Missouri State, Gr., 3.67 GPA, MBA
Julius Mims, NM State, Gr., 3.66 GPA, Communication Studies
Veljko Ilic, Sam Houston, Gr., 3.75 GPA, MBA