KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Penn State Altoona men’s basketball senior Dominic Frucella (Duncansville, Pennsylvania/Hollidaysburg) was recognized on a national level for his community service work over the past year, when the National Association of Basketball Coaches (NABC) named him as one of 10 student-athletes selected to its annual Community Assist Team.
The NABC announced its 2021 Community Assist Team on Sept. 23, honoring 10 men’s college basketball players for their outstanding community service efforts. These individuals were chosen from nominations submitted by NABC member coaches.
“The commitment to making a difference exhibited by these young men is truly inspiring, and the NABC is proud to celebrate them on our Community Assist Team,” said NABC Executive Director Craig Robinson. “We all have a responsibility to use our platforms to positively impact others, and these student-athletes have answered that call.”
Frucella has been involved in a number of community service efforts, performed both individually and as a member of the Penn State Altoona men’s basketball program. The senior forward is a volunteer with Young Life and Elevation Church, and he has participated in community service projects with the Lions basketball team that include cancer awareness events with Sideline Cancer and the Brian Morden Foundation, local food drives, and other charity works that benefit the local community and beyond. Frucella also has performed more than 85 hours of community service through Penn State Altoona’s Sheetz Fellows Program.
“Dom has been a true servant leader for our program, as well as within the campus community and the Altoona community. He has worked with numerous organizations, such as Sideline Cancer, the Special Olympics, the Brian Morden Foundation, and Go4theGoal, just to name a few,” said Penn State Altoona men’s basketball head coach David McGreal. “He is also a volunteer with Young Life and is a member of our Sheetz Fellows Program. Dom is one of the true servant leaders within our campus community, and we are so proud to have him in our program.”
Frucella is the first Penn State Altoona men’s basketball player in program history to be named to an NABC Community Assist Team.
2021 NABC Community Assist Team
- Kamal Aubakirov, Kenyon College
- Riley Demps, New York University
- Mason Forbes, Harvard University
- Mike Fowler, Queens University of Charlotte
- Dominic Frucella, Penn State Altoona
- Jarkel Joiner, University of Mississippi
- Jordan Jones, Marist College
- Corey Kispert, Gonzaga University
- Nathan Nelson, University of South Carolina
- Kamron Reaves, Florida A&M University
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 five core values of being a Guardian of the Game are advocacy, leadership, service, education and inclusion. Additional information about the NABC, its programs and membership, can be found on the NABC website.