Naismith Trophy releases midseason Player of the Year watch list

The Naismith Awards has released its midseason watch list for the Jersey Mike’s Naismith High School Player of the Year award, and it features many of top recruits in the On3 Industry Rankings for the 2024 and 2025 classes.

The award itself will be presented in March, and is given to “the most outstanding boys’ and girls’ prep basketball player who achieves tremendous on-court success.”

Included on the Boys High School Selection Committee of the Naismith Awards is On3 National Basketball Recruiting Analyst Jamie Shaw.

Past notable boys winners have included Jason Kidd (1992, St. Joseph Notre Dame High School, Alameda, California), Kobe Bryant (1996, Lower Merion High School, Ardmore, Pennsylvania), LeBron James (2003, St. Vincent-St. Mary, Akron, Ohio) and Derrick Favors (2009, South Atlanta High School, Atlanta).

USC freshman point Isaiah Collier won the award for the 2022-23 season, and other finalists included 2025 No. 2 prospect Cameron Boozer, Kentucky signees Justin Edwards and DJ Wagner Jr. and, Texas signee Ron Holland.

Halfway through the 2023-24 season, a host of programs are well-represented. And the list features some of the top names in the senior, junior and sophomore classes. Notable additions to the list include:

Rutgers signee Ace Bailey and commit Dylan Harper, Kansas signee Flory Bidunga, 2025 No. 1 and No. 2 prospects AJ Dybantsa and Cameron Boozer, Arizona signee Carter Bryant, Baylor commit VJ Edgecombe, Duke signees Cooper Flagg, Isaiah Evans and Kon Kneuppel; Kentucky signees Jayden Quaintance and Boogie Fland, Texas signee Tre Johnson and more.

Full List