Juniors seek to become first Big Ten duo to claim the award in the same season
ATLANTA (March 21, 2023) – Big Ten Player of the Year winners Caitlin Clark and Zach Edey are among the women’s and men’s finalists vying for the 2023 Jersey Mike’s Naismith Trophy, symbolic of the most outstanding players in men’s and women’s college basketball. Joining Clark is Aliyah Boston of South Carolina, who looks to retain the honor after winning in 2022, as well as Elizabeth Kitley (Virginia Tech) and Maddy Siegrist (Villanova) – both potential first-time winners for their programs.
On the men’s side, Jalen Wilson of Kansas could become the third Jayhawk to win the Naismith Trophy after Frank Mason III (2017) and Danny Manning (1988). Indiana’s Trayce Jackson-Davis would also become his school’s third-ever Jersey Mike’s Naismith Men’s Player of the Year, following fellow Hoosiers Calbert Cheaney (1993) and Scott May (1976). Gonzaga’s Drew Timme looks to become the third Naismith Award winner from the Bulldogs in the last seven years after his coach Mark Few (Coach of the Year in 2017 and 2021).
About the Jersey Mike’s Naismith Women’s Player of the Year Finalists:
Aliyah Boston, South Carolina
- Earned her second consecutive SEC Player of the Year
- Named SEC Defensive Player of the Year for the fourth consecutive season
- Boston is the only player in the country ranked in the top five of both offensive and defensive player rating, leading the SEC in both categories
- Her 21 double-doubles rank sixth in the NCAA
- Selected as a First-Team AP All-American
Caitlin Clark, Iowa
- Ranks top-five nationally in 12 statistical categories while being the only player in the country to average better than 20 points (27.2), five assists (8.1) and five rebounds per game (7.4)
- Has garnered a Big Ten weekly award six times this season
- In 17 games this season, she has at least 25 points, five rebounds and five assists
- Named the Big Ten Player of the Year
- Selected as a First-Team AP All-American
Maddy Siegrist, Villanova
- Named BIG EAST Player of the Year and First Team All-American
- BIG EAST Player of the Week seven times
- Became just the fifth player in the history of Division I women’s college basketball to score 1,000 points in one season
- Siegrist has reached the 20-point mark in all 34 games this season, including reaching the 30-point mark on 14 occasions and is averaging 28.9 points per game
- This season she has 14 30-point games and a career 31 30-point games
Elizabeth Kitley, Virginia Tech
- Named ACC Player of the Year for second consecutive season
- Became the first Hokie to earn three First-Team All ACC honors as well as the first Hokie to earn two All-Defensive Team nods
- This season she is averaging 18.6 points, 10.5 boards, 2.26 blocks and is shooting 56.3% from the floor
- She leads the conference with 21 double-doubles and is the only ACC Women’s Basketball athlete to record a 20-rebound game
- Became the program’s all-time leading scorer and is just seven points away from scoring 2,000 in her career
About the Jersey Mike’s Naismith Men’s Player of the Year Finalists:
Zach Edey, Purdue
- Edey averaged 22.3 points, 12.9 rebounds, 2.1 blocks and 1.5 assists this season, while recording a nation’s-best 27 double-doubles
- Shot 60.7 percent from the field and 73.4 percent from the free throw line
- Named Big Ten Player of the Year and earned six Player of the Week honors, the second most in league history
- First player in NCAA history (since blocks became an official NCAA stat) with 750 points, 400 rebounds, 70 blocks and 50 assists in a season
Trayce Jackson-Davis, Indiana
- Jackson-Davis was named a consensus First Team All-American after averaging 20.9 points, 10.8 rebounds, 4.0 and 2.9 blocks – all career-high numbers – during his senior season
- He became the first player with at least 20 points, 10 rebounds, five blocks and five assists in an NCAA Tournament game
- He is the only player in IU history with 2,000 (2,258) career points 1,000 (1143) career rebounds and 250 career blocks (270).
- He was awarded Big Ten Player of the Week five times this season
Drew Timme, Gonzaga
- Led the West Coast Conference averaging 21.0 points per game and is fifth
- in 7.4 rebounds per game, and seventh in blocked shots (0.9 shots)
- Became the Zags’ all-time leading scorer this season
- He is first in the nation in two-point field goals made and has the 10th highest player efficiency rating at 30.5
- Secured his second consecutive WCC Player of the Year award
Jalen Wilson, Kansas
- Big 12 Player of the Year and All-Big 12 First Team, both being unanimous selections, Jalen Wilson leads the Big 12 in scoring at 20.1 points per game, rebounds per game (8.3) and double-doubles with 12
- Wilson is third Jayhawk in the Bill Self era to average 20-plus points per game and the fourth KU player to lead the Big 12 in scoring and rebounding
- Wilson posted three 30-point performances and had 22 games of 20 or more points scored this season, including each of his last seven contests. His 22 games of 20 points led the Big 12
- Wilson is just the 10th player in Kansas men’s basketball history to record 1,400-plus career points and 800-plus career rebounds. His 1,475 points rank 27th on the KU career list and his 802 rebounds are 14th. Wilson’s 28 career double-doubles are ninth on the KU all-time list
“Each of the remaining candidates demonstrates a fantastic basketball playing ability, and their individual accomplishments reflect their talent and dedication to the sport,” said Eric Oberman, executive director of the Atlanta Tipoff Club. “They have been instrumental to the success of their teams throughout the season, and we would be proud to call any of these finalists a Jersey Mike’s Naismith Trophy winner.”
“Jersey Mike’s extends its heartfelt congratulations to these eight exceptional basketball players on being named a finalist for this prestigious award,” said Jeff Hemschoot, vice president of marketing at Jersey Mike’s. “Their remarkable skill and dedication have both entertained and awed us throughout the season, and we are proud to honor their amazing accomplishments.”
The 2023 Jersey Mike’s Naismith Trophy for Women’s Player of the Year will be awarded on Wednesday, March 29, at a press conference at Reunion Tower in Dallas during the Women’s Final Four. The 2023 Jersey Mike’s Naismith Trophy Men’s Player of the Year announcement will take place on Sunday, April 2 at the Naismith Awards Brunch presented by Frost Bank during the Final Four in Houston. The event will be held at the Ballroom at Bayou Place. SiriusXM will simulcast the live announcement on SiriusXM College Sports Radio (Channel 84).
Fans will once again be able to support their favorite finalist through the Naismith Awards Fan Vote presented by Jersey Mike’s, which runs Tuesday, March 21 through Tuesday, March 28 at naismithfanvote.com. The fan vote will account for five percent of the overall final vote. Fans may also visit the @MarchMadnessWBB and @MarchMadnessMBB Twitter pages to vote for their favorite women’s and men’s player.
The finalists for each category emerged from a group of 10 semifinalists and were selected by the Atlanta Tipoff Club’s national voting academy, comprised of leading journalists from around the country, current and former head coaches, former award winners and conference commissioners, all of whom base their selections on outstanding on-court performances during the 2022-23 regular college basketball season. The vote was tabulated and verified by the Atlanta team of J.S. Held, a global consulting firm.
The winner will be awarded with the Jersey Mike’s Naismith Trophy, produced and provided by Herff Jones, leading provider of graduation and educational products and services designed to inspire achievement and create memorable experiences for students. A replica trophy will be donated by Herff Jones to the player’s university.
For more information, visit www.naismithtrophy.com.
ABOUT THE ATLANTA TIPOFF CLUB
Founded during the 1956-57 season, the Atlanta Tipoff Club is committed to promoting the game of basketball and recognizing the outstanding accomplishments of those who make the game so exciting. The Atlanta Tipoff Club administers the Naismith Awards, the most prestigious national honors in all of college and high school basketball. Named in honor of Dr. James Naismith, inventor of the game of basketball, the family of Naismith Awards annually recognizes the most outstanding men’s and women’s college and high school basketball players and coaches. Other Naismith Awards are presented to the men’s and women’s college basketball defensive players of the year, as well as lifetime achievement awards to basketball officials and outstanding contributors to the game. UCLA’s Lew Alcindor received the first Jersey Mike’s Naismith Trophy in 1969, while the late Anne Donovan (Old Dominion) was the inaugural women’s recipient in 1983. Corporate partners of the Naismith Awards include Jersey Mike’s and Werner Ladder.
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Jersey Mike’s Subs, with more than 2,500 locations open and under development nationwide, serves authentic fresh sliced/fresh grilled subs on in-store freshly baked bread — the same recipe it started with in 1956. Passion for giving in Jersey Mike’s local communities is reflective in its mission statement “Giving…making a difference in someone’s life.” For more information, please visit jerseymikes.com or follow us on Facebook (facebook.com/jerseymikes), Instagram (instagram.com/jerseymikes), and Twitter (twitter.com/jerseymikes.com).
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Media Contact:
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