Top Five Players and Five Coaches Vying for the National Honor
ATLANTA (February 17, 2022) – The Atlanta Tipoff Club today announced the five finalists competing for the Jersey Mike’s Naismith High School Trophy for Boys Player of the Year and the Jersey Mike’s Naismith High School Boys Coach of the Year. All five finalists for the Boys Player of the Year are 1st team All-Americans, three of the five finalists have committed to play at Duke, with the remaining two finalists committing to Arkansas and Baylor. The Jersey Mike’s Naismith High School Boys Coach of the Year winner will be announced on March 3, and the Jersey Mike’s Naismith High School Trophy will be awarded to the top boys player the following day on March 4.
“While the pandemic has presented some challenges this season, it doesn’t minimize the talented players and coaches who’ve endured ups and downs to have tremendous seasons,” said Eric Oberman, executive director of the Atlanta Tipoff Club. “Our voters have come up with two solid sets of finalists, and now, we focus our energy on reaching the finish line and honoring the top performers for the Jersey Mike’s Naismith High School Trophy and Coach of the Year.”
“Jersey Mike’s salutes the top five candidates for the Jersey Mike’s Naismith High School Boys Trophy. We are proud to be associated with these incredibly talented high school basketball players,” said Rich Hope, chief marketing officer, Jersey Mike’s Franchise Systems, Inc. “We also congratulate the five coaches nominated for National High School Boys Coach of the Year for their extraordinary dedication to high school basketball and the young men they coach.”
2022 Jersey Mike's Naismith High School Trophy Boys Player of the Year Finalists
| Last Name | First Name | Full Name | Class | Position | High School | City, State | Committed to: |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Filipowski | Kyle | Kyle Filipowski | Sr. | C | Wilbraham & Monson Academy | Wilbraham, MA | Duke |
| George | Keyonte | Keyonte George | Sr. | SG | IMG Academy | Bradenton, FL | Baylor |
| Lively II | Dereck | Dereck Lively II | Sr. | C | Westtown School | West Chester, PA | Duke |
| Smith Jr. | Nick | Nick Smith Jr. | Sr. | SG | North Little Rock High School | North Little Rock, AR | Arkansas |
| Whitehead | Dariq | Dariq Whitehead | Sr. | SF | Montverde Academy | Montverde, FL | Duke |
2022 Jersey Mike's Naismith High School Boys Coach of the Year Finalists
| Full Name | High School | City, State |
|---|---|---|
| Rodney Perry | Link Academy | Branson, MO |
| David Peavy | Duncanville High School | Duncanville, TX |
| Kevin Lawson | Richardson High School | Richardson, TX |
| Luke Barnwell | Sunrise Christian Academy | Bel Aire, KS |
| Grant Rice | Bishop Gorman High School | Las Vegas, NV |
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.
ABOUT JERSEY MIKE’S SUBS
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).
###
Media Contact:
Traci Messier
Jackson Spalding for the Atlanta Tipoff Club
706-816-6022