Naismith Awards 2025: Each year, the most exceptional male and female athletes in the NCAA are honored with the Naismith Trophy. The ‘Naismith Watch’ is a group of 50 preseason candidates chosen annually by the Atlanta Tipoff Club Board of Selectors. After that, they choose 30 midseason applicants, 10 national semifinalists, and four finalists for the ultimate selection.
The Selection Board selects players based on a variety of criteria related to their performance during the selection season. It is composed of top journalists, coaches, and team administrators from all over the nation.
Fans now play a role in determining the winners, with their votes accounting for 25% of the overall score in selecting the NCAA Player of the Year for both men and women.
March Madness: The History of the Naismith Trophy
Named after Dr. James Naismith, the inventor of basketball, the inaugural trophy was presented to Lew Alcindor (Kareem Abdul-Jabbar) from UCLA in 1969, while the first women’s trophy went to Anne Donovan of Old Dominion University in 1983.
The trophy itself was designed by Marty C. Dawe, an Atlanta native, and is recognized as one of the prestigious awards in college basketball.
Additionally, in 1982, the Atlanta Tipoff Club introduced the Outstanding Contribution Award to recognize individuals who have positively influenced the sport at the collegiate level. The Naismith College Coach of the Year Award was created in 1987, initially honoring coaches from the NCAA Division I tournament champions for both men and women.
The present voting procedure, in which the Atlanta Tipoff Club Board of Selectors first chooses a list of 25 coaches for each award, was adopted by the board of directors two years later. After that, it selects the national winner after reducing the field to four finalists.
A list of the top 10 players in the nation was included in the 1987 Naismith High School Boys’ and Girls’ Player of the Year awards. In 2008, the Boys’ and Girls’ High School Coach of the Year award was added, and in 2018, the Men’s and Women’s College Defensive Player of the Year award was included.
In order to enable local basketball fans to share their passion and support the growth of the sport in the Atlanta metropolitan area and throughout the state of Georgia, the Atlanta Tipoff Club was established in the late 1950s.
Voting for the Naismith Awards
Based on player performance during the season, a national voting academy of top basketball coaches, administrators, and journalists selects four finalists.
2025 Naismith Award Finalists
Women’s Player of the Year Finalists
- Lauren Betts, UCLA
- Paige Bueckers, UConn
- Hannah Hidalgo, Notre Dame
- JuJu Watkins, Southern California
Men’s Player of the Year Finalists
- Johni Broome, Auburn
- Walter Clayton, Jr., Florida
- Cooper Flagg, Duke
- Braden Smith, Purdue
Naismith Awards Winners
USC’s JuJu Watkins was named Naismith Women’s College Basketball Player of the Year
The men’s division winner will be revealed on April 6.
Prize money from the Naismith Awards 2025
Winning this trophy is more than just an achievement—it’s a symbol of respect and admiration from peers, coaches, and fans, recognizing the recipient’s exceptional talent and relentless dedication to excellence.
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