CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Wisconsin senior Frank Kaminsky, Kentucky junior Willie Cauley-Stein, Notre Dame junior Jerian Grant and Duke freshman Jahlil Okafor were named finalists Thursday for the Naismith Trophy.
Should Kaminsky win, he’ll become the sixth Big Ten player to earn the honors, and the third in six years, following Trey Burke of Michigan (2013) and Ohio State’s Evan Turner (2010). Notre Dame’s lone Naismith Trophy winner was Austin Carr in 1971, while Kentucky earned its only award in 2012 (Anthony Davis). Duke has won more Naismith Trophies (7) than any other school, and the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) leads with 16.
“We have four tremendously talented individuals playing key roles for their highly successful teams, so we believe that any of the finalists are worthy and deserving of the Naismith Trophy,” said Eric Oberman, Atlanta Tipoff Club executive director.
Here’s a breakdown of all four players:Jerian Grant, Notre Dame: He led the team in scoring at nearly 17 points per game, while dishing out a league-high 6.6 assists this season. He was named All-ACC first-team. Grant was named the ACC tournament’s Most Valuable Player and finished second in voting as the ACC Player of the Year. He leads the third-seeded Irish (29-5) against Northeastern in the NCAA Tournament Midwest Region. Willie Cauley-Stein, Kentucky: Despite being part of Kentucky’s platoon system, Cauley-Stein was named SEC Defensive Player of the Year, a member of the ALL-SEC first-team, and the SEC Tournament Most Valuable Player. He led UK in steals (44) while ranking second in blocked shots, and averaged 9.3 points and 6.4 rebounds per game. Earlier this season, CauleyStein became the first player in school history to collect 200 or more career blocks and 100 or more career steals. Kentucky is the No. 1 overall seed in the NCAA Tournament and is slotted in the Midwest Region. Frank Kaminsky, Wisconsin: He leads the Badgers in scoring (18.2), rebounds (8.0), assists (90), blocks (52) and steals (30), while being named the Big Ten Player of the Year. He helped lead the team to both the conference regular-season and tournament championships. Kaminsky is shooting a team-best 55.3 percent this season and ranks third on the team for 3-point shooting at 39.5 percent. He has scored in double figures in 27 straight games and 32 out of 33 games played this season. He has eclipsed the 20-point mark in 10 of UW’s last 18 games and a total of 13 times on the season. Wisconsin is the No. 1 seed in the West Region of the NCAA Tournament. Jahlil Okafor, Duke: Okafor, a finalist for the 2014 Naismith High School Trophy, is averaging 17.7 points and 9.0 rebounds while shooting 66.9 percent this season. He was named ACC Player of the Year, becoming the first freshman to win such an honor in conference history, and also the national freshman of the year. Okafor currently leads the conference in offensive rebounding (3.91 orpg.) and field goal percentage (.669) and sits second in points per game (17.7 ppg.). Okafor’s 66.9 percent field goal percentage also ranks second in the nation. The Blue Devils open the NCAA Tournament as the top seed in the South Region. Release: Naismith
