Tag: Naismith Trophy

Cooper Flagg and Kon Knueppel named to Naismith Men’s Player of the Year Watch List

Two Duke basketball freshmen were named to the 2024-25 Jersey Mike’s Naismith Men’s Player of the Year Watch List on Wednesday.

The 2024-25 Jersey Mike’s Naismith Men’s Player of the Year Watch List was revealed on Wednesday, and two first-year Duke Blue Devils were included among the nominees.

[autotag]Cooper Flagg[/autotag], the top-ranked Class of 2024 recruit, and fellow five-star [autotag]Kon Knueppel[/autotag] made the list as preseason favorites for the prestigious award.

Flagg, who already has endorsement deals with New Balance and Gatorade before even playing a regular-season game, led the Blue Devils with 22 points, six assists, and four blocks in his first exhibition game against Lincoln. As the presumed No. 1 overall pick in the upcoming NBA draft, On3 gives him the highest NIL valuation of any men’s college basketball player in the country.

If Flagg dominated the first exhibition, Knueppel dominated the second. He scored 19 points, making four of his eight 3-point attempts, and added five rebounds and four assists. The Wisconsin native looks like the best shooter on a team full of weapons, and he cracked the top 10 of ESPN’s draft prospect rankings after a summer full of increased hype.

Iowa women’s basketball duo named to 2024 Naismith Trophy watch list

Iowa’s Lucy Olsen and Hannah Stuelke have been named to the 2024 Naismith Trophy watch list.

As the 2024-25 Iowa women’s basketball season swiftly approaches, Iowa senior guard Lucy Olsen and junior forward Hannah Stuelke are named to the 2024 Jersey Mike’s Naismith Women’s Player of the Year watch list.

Olsen joined the Hawkeyes this offseason through the transfer portal after spending the previous three seasons with Villanova. During the 2023-24 campaign, she started all 35 games, averaging 23.3 points, 4.8 rebounds, and 36.2 minutes per contest.

Olsen also shot 43.8% from the field, 29.4% from three-point range, and 80.7% from the free throw line.

Her impressive play last season earned her a unanimous first-team All-BIG EAST selection, BIG EAST Most Improved player, and an honorable mention All-American honoree by both the WBCA and the Associated Press.

Stuelke enters her junior season with the Hawkeyes after a breakout 2023-24 campaign where she started 32 of 35 games and averaged 14.0 points and 6.6 rebounds. She shot 62.7% from the field and 62.9% from the free throw line.

Stuelke’s impressive play last season also earned her second team All-Big Ten honors from the coaches and media.

Some of the other 48 players accompanying Olsen and Stuelke on the watch list include TCU guard Hailey Van Lith, USC guard JuJu Watkins, LSU guard Flau’jae Johnson, and UConn guard Paige Bueckers.

The Hawkeyes’ first act of the season will be an exhibition matchup on Wednesday, Oct. 30 at 6:30 p.m. CT against Missouri Western from Carver-Hawkeye Arena. The matchup will stream on Big Ten Network Plus (BTN+).

Iowa’s regular season opener will be against Northern Illinois on Nov. 6 with a 6:30 p.m. CT start from Carver-Hawkeye Arena. That contest is also set to air on BTN+.

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Lisa Bluder named Naismith Trophy Coach of the Year finalist

Give Coach the hardware!

Iowa head women’s basketball coach Lisa Bluder has been the architect of a number of wins for a number of years.

Under her leadership, the Hawkeyes have won 494 games overall during her tenure as Iowa’s head coach. Iowa has now captured the Big Ten Tournament championship three seasons in a row.

This season marks the second straight year that Iowa has surpassed the 30-win threshold and the eighth consecutive season that Bluder’s squads have won 20 or more games.

Iowa has advanced to the NCAA Tournament in 14 of the past 16 seasons.

Thanks to Bluder’s stellar coaching, Iowa (31-4, 15-3 Big Ten) earned a No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament for the third time in program history. Now, after a pair of wins last weekend, the Hawkeyes are in the Sweet 16 for the 10th time in program history and for the fifth time under coach Bluder.

As a result, Bluder is being recognized nationally. The Hawkeye head coach was named as one of four finalists for the Naismith Trophy Coach of the Year.

This marks the consecutive season that Bluder has been named as a Naismith Trophy Coach of the Year finalist. Bluder won the award back in 2019.

Bluder joins South Carolina’s Dawn Staley, Stanford’s Tara VanDerveer and USC‘s Lindsay Gottlieb as a finalist.

Iowa gets underway in the Sweet 16 versus Colorado at 2:30 p.m. on Saturday on ABC from MVP Arena in Albany, N.Y.

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Caitlin Clark once again a Naismith Trophy finalist

Is the repeat inevitable?

Surprise, surprise, Caitlin Clark is once again a finalist for the Naismith Trophy national player of the year.

The Iowa point guard is the incumbent national player of the year, becoming the second Hawkeye to win the award last year after a stellar season.

Clark took home the award last season after leading Iowa to the Big Ten Tournament championship, followed by an appearance in the national championship game.

She swept virtually every award after leading the nation in assists with 8.6 per game, all while scoring an uber-efficient 27.8 points per game. That was the second-best mark nationally behind only Villanova’s Maddie Siegrist.

Now, Clark is once again the favorite to be named the Naismith Trophy national player of the year despite some hefty competition around her.

Stanford’s Cameron Brink, UConn’s Paige Bueckers and USC‘s JuJu Watkins join Clark as Naismith Trophy finalists. All four players are fantastic in their own right, with the freshman Watkins looking like the next big thing in collegiate women’s basketball.

Somehow, Clark stepped her game up to another level this year, leading the nation in both points and assists per game. She led the Hawkeyes to another Big Ten Tournament championship with an incredible 31.8 points per game. The second-highest scorer in the nation, JuJu Watkins, averaged 26.9 points per game.

It was truly a historic season for Clark, who became the all-time leading scorer in NCAA Division I basketball history. That’s not just the women’s mark that she surpassed set by Kansas’ Lynette Woodard. Clark also finally took down LSU legend “Pistol” Pete Maravich’s long-time points record.

Clark looks to finish on top as a two-time national player of the year.

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Naismith Trophy announces All-American boys and girls basketball selections

The Naismith Trophy announces their All America team for high school girls and boys basketball.

On Wednesday, the Naismith Trophy unveiled its All America teams for boys and girls high school basketball.

The coveted award is annually given to the top players in both college and high school basketball.

The Naismith Trophy Boys’ High School Player of the Year and Girls’ High School Player of the Year awards were created in 1987. The college award was first handed out in 1969 to Lew Alcindor (who later changed his name to Kareem Abdul Jabbar).

The women’s college award was established in 1983. Its first recipient was Old Dominion’s Anne Donovan.

In addition to the college award, the Naismith Trophy also has a high school award. And they also create an annual All America team as well, that is sponsored by Jersey Mike’s.

Naismith Trophy Boys’ High School All America Team

1st Team Airious “Ace” Bailey Senior SF Powder Springs, GA McEachern High School
1st Team Cameron Boozer Junior PF Miami, FL Christopher Columbus High School
1st Team AJ Dybantsa Junior SF Brockton, MA Prolific Prep
1st Team Cooper Flagg Senior SF Newport, ME Montverde Academy
1st Team Dylan Harper Senior PG Ramsey, NJ Don Bosco High School
2nd Team Jalil Bethea Senior SG Philadelphia, PA Archbishop Wood High School
2nd Team VJ Edgecombe Senior SG Brookville, NY Long Island Lutheran
2nd Team Tre Johnson Senior SG Dallas, TX Link Academy
2nd Team Derik Queen Senior C Baltimore, MD Montverde Academy
2nd Team Ian Jackson Senior SG Bronx, NY Our Saviour Lutheran School
3rd Team Flory Bidunga Senior C Kokomo, IN Kokomo High School
3rd Team Isaiah Evans Senior SF Huntersville, NC North Mecklenburg High School
3rd Team Liam McNeeley Senior SF Plano, TX Montverde Academy
3rd Team Koa Peat Junior PF Gilbert, AZ Perry High School
3rd Team Drake Powell Senior SF Pittsboro, NC Northwood High School
Honorable Mention Darius Acuff Jr. Junior PG Detroit, MI IMG Academy
Honorable Mention Carter Bryant Senior PF Riverside, CA Centennial High School
Honorable Mention Boogie Fland Senior PG White Plains, NY Archbishop Stepinac High School
Honorable Mention Karter Knox Senior SF Tampa, FL Overtime Elite
Honorable Mention Kon Knueppel Senior SG Milwaukee, WI Wisconsin Lutheran High School
Honorable Mention Brandon McCoy Sophomore PG Bellflower, CA St. John Bosco High School
Honorable Mention Trey McKenney Junior SF Orchard Lake, MI St. Mary’s Preparatory School
Honorable Mention Asa Newell Senior PF Fort Walton Beach, FL Montverde Academy
Honorable Mention Darryn Peterson Junior SG Cuyahoga Falls, OH Huntington Prep
Honorable Mention Tahaad Pettiford Senior PG Jersey City, NJ Hudson Catholic Regional High School
Honorable Mention Derrion Reid Senior SF Grovetown, GA Prolific Prep
Honorable Mention Tyran Stokes Sophomore PF Louisville, KY Prolific Prep
Honorable Mention Bryson Tucker Senior SF Baltimore, MD Bishop O’Connell High School
Honorable Mention Caleb Wilson Junior PF Atlanta, GA Holy Innocents’ Episcopal School
Honorable Mention Robert Wright III Senior PG Philadelphia, PA Montverde Academy

Naismith Trophy Girls’ High School All America Team

1st Team Jaloni Cambridge Senior PG Nashville, TN Montverde Academy
1st Team Aaliyah Chavez Junior PG Lubbock, TX Monterey High School
1st Team Morgan Cheli Senior G San Jose, CA Archbishop Mitty High School
1st Team Joyce Edwards Senior F Camden, SC Camden High School
1st Team Sarah Strong Senior F Fuquay-Varina, NC Grace Christian School
2nd Team Sienna Betts Junior F Aurora, CO Grandview High School
2nd Team Jasmine Davidson Junior G Clackamas, OR Clackamas High School
2nd Team Kateryna Koval Senior P Brookville, NY Long Island Lutheran
2nd Team Arianna Roberson Senior F San Antonio, TX Clark High School
2nd Team Kennedy Smith Senior W Etiwanda, CA Etiwanda High School
3rd Team Kendall Dudley Senior W Centreville, VA Sidwell Friends School
3rd Team Kayleigh Heckel Senior G Port Chester, NY Long Island Lutheran
3rd Team Olivia Olson Senior G Saint Louis Park, MN Benilde Saint Margaret High
3rd Team Mackenly Randolph Senior F Chatsworth, CA Sierra Canyon High School
3rd Team Syla Swords Senior G Sudbury, Ontario, CAN Long Island Lutheran
Honorable Mention Mikayla Blakes Senior G Somerset, NJ Rutgers Prep
Honorable Mention Justice Carlton Senior F Katy, TX Seven Lakes High School
Honorable Mention Kate Harpring Sophomore G Atlanta, GA Marist School
Honorable Mention Avery Howell Senior G Boise, ID Boise High School
Honorable Mention ZaKiyah Johnson Junior G Shelbyville, KY Sacred Heart Academy
Honorable Mention Zamareya Jones Senior PG Bethel, NC North Pitt High School
Honorable Mention Jordan Lee Senior G Stockton, CA St. Mary’s High School
Honorable Mention Madisen McDaniel Senior PG Upper Marlboro, MD Bishop McNamara High School
Honorable Mention Mia Pauldo Junior PG Denville, NJ Morris Catholic High School
Honorable Mention Britt Prince Senior PG Elkhorn, NE Elkhorn North High School
Honorable Mention Tajianna Roberts Senior G La Jolla, CA IMG Academy
Honorable Mention Jerzy Robinson Sophomore G Phoenix, AZ Sierra Canyon High School
Honorable Mention Emilee Skinner Junior PG Millville, UT Ridgeline High School
Honorable Mention McKenna Woliczko Sophomore F San Bruno, CA Archbishop Mitty High School
Honorable Mention Allie Ziebell Senior G Neenah, WI Neenah High School

Ace Bailey, Dylan Harper named Naismith All-Americans

Ace Bailey, Dylan Harper named Naismith All-Americans.

Rutgers basketball signees Ace Bailey and Dylan Harper were both recently named to the Jersey Mike’s Naismith Trophy Boys’ High School All America Team.

Bailey (McEachern High School; Powder Springs, Georgia) and Harper (Don Bosco Prep; Ramsey, New Jersey), are both five-star players and part of Rutgers basketball’s 2024 recruiting class. A 6-foot-9 forward, Bailey was recently named the No. 1 player in the USA TODAY High School Sports top 10 recruits in the nation.

After battling some injuries, Harper checked in at sixth on the list. He signed with Rutgers in early March.

Both Bailey and Harper are in their respective state playoffs. The duo are the highest-ranked individuals to ever commit to Rutgers:

 

Tahaad Pettifird, a senior guard from Hudson Catholic (Jersey City, New Jersey) was an honorable mention selection. He is an Auburn commit.

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On the girls’ side, no Rutgers commits made the Naismith Trophy Girls’ All America Team.

Vanderbilt signee, Mikayla Blakes, a senior guard from Rutgers Prep (Somerset, New Jersey), was an honorable mention. Mia Pauldo, a junior guard at Morris Catholic (Denville, New Jersey), was also an honorable mention selection.

Kyle Filipowski’s full answers from the Naismith Trophy Q&A

The Naismith Trophy social media account released a short interview with Duke’s Kyle Filipowski as part of its Player of the Year Midseason Team Q&A series on Friday. Check out his answers here.

The Naismith Trophy, as part of an ongoing Q&A series with its midseason watch list, released a short interview with Duke star Kyle Filipowski on Friday.

There were only four questions and they were quite brief, but the most prestigious trophy in college basketball wants fans to get the chance to know some of its finalists beyond their performance on the court.

You can find the entire thread of Filipowski’s questions and answers on the team’s page here, posted to X (formerly known as Twitter). Here’s a brief recap of everything the Duke 7-footer and likely All-ACC forward said.

Mark Sears named to Naismith Trophy Player of the Year Midseason Team

Mark Sears is getting recognized for his incredible play this season for the Tide!

There is no denying that [autotag]Nate Oats[/autotag] and the Alabama Crimson Tide men’s basketball team currently sit atop the SEC standings thanks in large part to the play of senior point guard Mark Sears.

Sears is arguably the favorite to win SEC Player of the Year thanks to his incredible play this season where he has averaged 20.5 points, 4.3 rebounds, and 4.0 assists through the first 24 games of the season.

On Thursday, Sears was given a national honor after being named to the Naismith Trophy Player of the Year Midseason Team.

The Naismith Trophy is awarded each season to college basketball’s best player by the Atlanta Tipoff Club.

Roll Tide Wire will continue to follow Sears and the Alabama basketball team as they make yet another run at an SEC regular season title.

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Duke forward Kyle Filipowski makes Naismith Trophy Midseason Team

Star 7-footer Kyle Filipowski is averaging 17.4 points and 8.3 rebounds per game this season while upping his 3-point percentage to 34.5%. The production earned him some midseason recognition on the Naismith Trophy Midseason Team.

The Naismith Trophy announced its Men’s College Player of the Year Midseason Team on Thursday, and Duke forward Kyle Filipowski was one of the 30 names who made the cut.

Filipowski, a preseason All-American hopeful, is averaging 17.4 points and 8.3 rebounds per game through 24 games this season, adding 2.8 assists, 1.8 blocks, and 1.1 steals to his average production. He’s shooting 49.8% from the floor and 34.5% from beyond the arc.

The Blue Devils 7-footer has scored 20 points in nine games this season, including a 30-point performance during a January win over Georgia Tech, and he’s recorded eight double-doubles.

He is currently seventh in the ACC in points per game and sixth in rebounds per game, one of just four players in the conference within the top 10 in both categories.

Three fellow ACC players made the midseason team, including Armando Bacot and RJ Davis from North Carolina and Clemson’s PJ Hall.

Former Tar Heel and eternal Duke rival Caleb Love, now playing for Arizona, also made the cutoff, as did defending Naismith Trophy winner (and presumed winner this year) Zach Edey from Purdue.

Two Michigan State basketball players make Naismith Trophy Men’s Preseason Watchlist

Two Michigan State players make Naismith Trophy Men’s Preseason Watchlist

Michigan State basketball has a ton of hype this year, and a lot of it is because of the growth of their two star guards: Tyson Walker and A.J. Hoggard. Both players have been getting their fair share of flowers heading into the season, and that continued on Monday as it was announced that both players have made the Naismith Trophy Men’s Preseason Watchlist.

The Naismith Trophy is given annually to the best Men’s and Women’s player in college basketball.

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