The finalists for the 2022 Naismith men’s and women’s player of the year were released recently.
“Through their persistence and leadership during the season, all eight candidates have earned the distinction of being a 2022 Jersey Mike’s Naismith Trophy finalist,” Atlanta Tipoff Club Executive Director Eric Oberman stated in a statement. “We admire and congratulate them on their efforts; picking the winners will be a difficult task for our voters.”
Fans have until March 29 to vote for the winners online. The fan voting contributes 5 percent to the winner’s decision.
The women’s winner will be revealed on March 30 during the Women’s Final Four in Minneapolis, while the men’s winner will be revealed on April 3 at the Naismith Awards Brunch at the Final Four in New Orleans.
Jersey Mike’s Naismith Women’s Player of the Year Finalists:
Aliyah Boston | South Carolina
- Earned her first 2022 SEC Player of the Year
- Named SEC Defensive Player of the Year for the third consecutive season
- Has an SEC-record streak of 24 consecutive double-doubles which is the longest active streak in the nation
- Only player in the top 30 in both offensive (9th) and defensive (2nd) efficiency rating
Caitlin Clark | Iowa
- Became the first women’ player to lead the country in both scoring and assists
- She averaged 27.4 points, 8.1 rebounds and 7.9 assists to help Iowa win both the Big Ten regular season and tournament championships
- Named the Big Ten Player of the Year
- Selected as a First-Team AP All-American
Haley Jones | Stanford
- One of three Power 5 players to average 12.6 points, 7.6 rebounds and 3.6 assists per game
- Named Pac-12 Player of the Year by the coaches
- She has scored in double figures 21 times this season while totaling eight double-doubles, along with the first triple-double at Stanford in nearly two decades
- Named the Pac-12 Tournament Most Outstanding Player
NaLyssa Smith | Baylor
- Led Baylor to its 13th Big 12 regular-season title and a No. 2 seed in the NCAA Tournament
- Named the unanimous Big 12 Player of the Year
- Averaged 22.5 PPG, 11.5 RPG, 1.1 APG, 1.2 BPG during the regular season
- Her 24 double-doubles this season set a Baylor record and is good for third in the country
Jersey Mike’s Naismith Men’s Player of the Year Finalists:
Ochai Agbaji
| Kansas
- Agbaji leads the Jayhawks and all Big 12 players in scoring at 19.3 points per game,
ranking 33rd nationally
- Averages 5.2 RPG, 1.6 APG
- Named Most Outstanding Player in the Big 12 Men’s Basketball Tournament and a first-team All-Big 12 selection
Johnny Davis
| Wisconsin
- Averaged 19.7 PPG, 8.2 RPG, 2.2 APG during the regular season
- Led the Badgers in rebounding (8.2 RPG)
- Named Big Ten Player of the Year
Keegan Murray
| Iowa
- Averaged 23.6 PPG, 8.6 RPG, 2.0 BPG, 1.5 APG, 1.3 STLS during the regular season
- Ranks 1st in the country in Player Efficiency Rating (38.2)
- Set the single-season Big Ten Tournament record for most points (103) and field goals made (38), and tied the 3-point field goals made record in a Big Ten Tournament game by sinking eight against Indiana
- Established a new school single-season scoring record (822 points), becoming just the eighth men’s basketball player in Big Ten history with over 800 points in a season
Oscar Tshiebwe
| Kentucky
- Averaged 17.0 PPG, 15.3 RPG, 1.6 BPG, 1.8 SPG and shot
60.6 percent from the field
during the season
- Broke the UK record for double-doubles in a season with 28
- Averaged 15.1 rebounds per game – the highest in a season since 1979
- With 474 rebounds on the season, Tshiebwe has the third most in one season in Kentucky men’s basketball history
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