INDIANAPOLIS (USBWA) – Jack Davidson of Wabash College (Crawfordsville, Ind.) and Anaya Simmons of Christopher Newport University (Newport News, Va.) were named the U.S. Basketball Writers Association Division III National Players of the Week for the week ending February 27.
Davidson, a 6-1 senior guard from Fishers, Ind., helped No. 15 (D3hoops.com) Wabash (24-3) win three games and capture the North Coast Athletic Conference (NCAC) Tournament Championship and automatic bid to the NCAA Division III Tournament. He scored a season-high 37 points (13-of-18 FG, 5-of-5 FT, 6-of-10 3FG), and added three rebounds, six assists, two steals, and a block in the Little Giants' 101-79 win over Hiram on Tuesday. On Friday, Davidson had 32 points (9-of-15 FG, 8-of-9 FT, 6-of-7 3FG), five rebounds and an assist in a 98-74 victory over Denison. The next night, in the NCAC Championship Game, he played all 45 minutes of Wabash's 85-84 overtime win against Wooster. Davidson finished with 28 points (9-of-22 FG, 6-of-7 FT, 4-of-9 3FG), 12 rebounds, five assists, and a steal. Over the three games, Davidson averaged 32.3 points, 6.6 rebounds, 4.0 assists, 1.0 steals, and 0.3 blocks while shooting 56.4 percent (31-55) from the field, 90.5 percent (19-of-21) from the foul line and 61.5 percent (16-of-26) from three-point range. Also named the NCAC Tournament MVP, Davidson currently leads NCAA Division III in three-point percentage (.498), is second in three-pointers made (107) and third in scoring (25.2 ppg).
Simmons, a 5-10 junior forward from Williamsburg, Va., helped lead top-ranked (D3hoops.com) Christopher Newport to a pair of victories, the Coast-to-Coast Conference Tournament Championship and the subsequent NCAA Division III Tournament bid. She scored 23 points (10-of-14 FG, 3-of-7 FT) – including 16 of her teams first 20 – grabbed five rebounds, recorded two assists, and added three steals in only 25 minutes as the Captains (24-0) defeated Mary Washington on Friday. In the championship game against UC Santa Cruz on Saturday, Simmons posted a double-double with 19 points (7-10 FG, 5-10 FT) and 13 rebounds, while adding an assist, steal and two blocks in the 71-64 victory. For the week, she averaged 21.0 points, 9.0 rebounds, 1.5 assists, 2.0 steals, and 1.0 blocks while shooting 70.8 percent (17-of-24) from the field, and 47.1 percent (8-17) from the foul line. Named Tournament MVP, Simmons and the Captains have won 41 consecutive games, the longest streak among any NCAA division.
Each Tuesday during the 2021-22 season, the USBWA selected men's and women's Division III National Players of the Week. The program resumed after a one-season hiatus, and this was the seventh season that the USBWA recognized national players of the week from Division III. These are the final selections of the season.
The U.S. Basketball Writers Association was formed in 1956 at the urging of then-NCAA Executive Director Walter Byers. With some 900 members worldwide, it is one of the most influential organizations in college basketball. It has selected an All-America team since the 1956-57 season. For more information on the USBWA and its award programs, contact executive director Malcolm Moran at 814-574-1485.
2021-22 USBWA Division III National Players of the Week
Week ending Nov. 21: Buzz Anthony, Randolph-Macon
College and Abbey Lawrence, Case Western Reserve University
·
Week ending Nov. 28: Ryan Turell, Yeshiva University
and Claudia Cooke, Kenyon College
· Week
ending Dec. 5: Lyle Tipton, Geneva College and Meg Carroll, Lasell University
· Week ending Dec. 12: Ryan Turell, Yeshiva
University and Hanna Geistfeld, Bethany Lutheran College
·
Week ending Dec. 19: Luke Feely, University
of Mary Hardin-Baylor and Cayla Sharkey, Gwynedd Mercy University
·
Week ending Jan. 2: Jack Davidson, Wabash College
and Jenna Taylor, Simpson College
· Week
ending Jan. 9: Alex Sobel, Middlebury College and Aleah Grundahl, University of
Wisconsin-Whitewater
· Week ending Jan.
16: Christian Stewart, Spalding University and Camille Zinaich, Oberlin College
· Week ending Jan. 23: Levi Borchert, University
of Wisconsin-Oshkosh and Hanna Geistfeld, Bethany Lutheran College
·
Week ending Jan. 30: Christian Parker, University
of Mount Union and Flannery O'Connor, Framingham State University
·
Week ending Feb. 6: Jackson Danzig, University
of Scranton and Bailey Donovan, Husson University
·
Week ending Feb. 13: Matthew Leritz, Illinois
Wesleyan University and Hanna Geistfeld, Bethany Lutheran College
·
Week ending Feb. 20: Austin Grunder, SUNY Cortland
and Elyce Knudsen, Millikin University
·
Week ending Feb. 27: Jack Davidson, Wabash College
and Anaya Simmons, Christopher Newport University