USBWA 2021-22 Season News

Washington University student-athlete Justin Hardy died of stomach cancer Sunday morning after a year in which he refused to allow a stage 4 diagnosis to get in the way of his goals. Hardy was one of two athletes given the Perry Wallace Most Courageous Award by the United States Basketball Writers Association for his refusal to let a terminal prognosis sidetrack his immediate plans.

Kentucky forward Oscar Tshiebwe, an elite rebounder, a unanimous All-American and the Southeastern Conference Player and Defensive Player of the Year with a prolific double-double average, has been named the winner of the Oscar Robertson Trophy as the National Player of the Year as selected by the U.S. Basketball Writers Association.

In her third All-America season with a record-setting double-double streak and Southeastern Conference Player and Defensive Player of the Year accolades, South Carolina forward Aliyah Boston is the winner of the Ann Meyers Drysdale Award as the National Player of the Year, as selected by the U.S. Basketball Writers Association.

Arizona first-year head coach Tommy Lloyd led the Wildcats to the Pac-12 Conference championship and a top seed in the NCAA Tournament. For his smashing debut guiding Arizona to 33 wins and into the Sweet 16, Lloyd has been named the winner of the 2021-22 Henry Iba Award, given annually by the U.S. Basketball Writers Association to its national coach of the year.

Dawn Staley, the Southeastern Conference Coach of the Year who has her South Carolina team back in the Final Four for a second consecutive season and contending for the program's second national championship, is the USBWA National Coach of the Year for the second time in three seasons. Staley has the SEC-champion Gamecocks (33-2) playing in their fourth Final Four this weekend, each of them under her leadership, following a national semifinal loss to eventual champion Stanford a year ago. In the 2019-20 season, Staley's Gamecocks were 32-1 before Covid forced the cancellation of the NCAA Tournament.

Auburn forward Jabari Smith, a dynamic big man who turned the Tigers into one of the nation’s toughest matchups and helped lead the Tigers to the Southeastern Conference regular-season title, is the winner of this season’s Wayman Tisdale Award honoring the National Freshman Player of the Year based on voting by the U.S. Basketball Writers Association. Smith is Auburn’s first Tisdale Award winner and its first USBWA All-American since 1998-99.

DePaul forward Aneesah Morrow, who leads the nation in three separate rebounding categories and recorded 27 double-doubles as a second-team USBWA All-American, has won the 2021-22 Tamika Catchings Award as the U.S. Basketball Writers Association's National Freshman Player of the Year.

Three repeat selections, three first-teamers from the Big Ten including its top scorer, a pair of teammates from top-ranked Gonzaga and the country’s leading rebounder headline the 2021-22 U.S. Basketball Writers Association Men's All-America Team. The 15-man team includes two of the country's top shooters, the third-leading scorer, seven players who were their conference players of the year and four players who were USBWA district players of the year.

Seven repeat selections including four from the first team and three three-time members headline the 2021-22 U.S. Basketball Writers Association Women's All-America Team. There are 13 different schools represented on the 15-woman team with top-ranked and No. 1 overall NCAA Tournament seed South Carolina and Stanford each boasting two selections.

The U.S. Basketball Writers Association has released its 2021-22 Men's All-District Teams, based on voting from its national membership of 900-plus. The USBWA has selected All-District teams since the 1956-57 season, its founding year.

Two exemplary men's college basketball players will share the 2022 Perry Wallace Most Courageous Award. Texas guard Andrew Jones, who has displayed courage since his leukemia diagnosis in 2018, and Washington (Mo.) University forward Justin Hardy, who has been his team's second-leading scorer while battling stomach cancer, have both demonstrated extraordinary courage reflecting honor on amateur basketball.

Northeastern guard Kendall Currence is this year's Pat Summitt Most Courageous Award winner. The senior has demonstrated an intrepid spirit and a remarkable determination, undergoing more than a dozen surgeries after being born with a cleft lip and palate. She also has overcome having three holes in her heart, a heart murmur and a bicuspid aortic valve, according to the Boston Globe.

The U.S. Basketball Writers Association has selected UCLA guard/forward Jaime Jaquez Jr. as its Oscar Robertson National Player of the Week for games ending the week of Sunday, March 6.

Kentucky earns National Team of the Week honor

Giambalvo, Durando and Philippou recognized for distinguished work

Association continues to honor Div. III standouts

The U.S. Basketball Writers Association has selected Murray State forward KJ Williams as its Oscar Robertson National Player of the Week for games ending the week of Sunday, Feb. 27. It is the second time this season for Williams to earn the award in the last three weeks as he was the USBWA's selection for the week ending Feb. 13 as well.

Stanford earns National Team of the Week honor

The U.S. Basketball Writers Association has selected St. John's guard/forward Julian Champagnie as its Oscar Robertson National Player of the Week for games ending the week of Sunday, Feb. 20.

North Carolina earns National Team of the Week honor