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A trio of SEC stars have been named semifinalists for the Naismith College Player of the Year Award, given annually to the nation’s most outstanding player.
Auburn forward Johni Broome, Alabama guard Mark Sears and Florida guard Walter Clayton Jr. all made the cut. A total of 10 semifinalists were named on Friday.
Broome is amongst the favorites to win this award. He’s been one of the nation’s best players this season and led Auburn to a 15-3 record in SEC play during the regular season.
Sears has led Alabama to another remarkable season under Nate Oats. He’s one of the most prolific scorers in college basketball and has the Crimson Tide of yet another No. 1 seed depending on how things go at the SEC Tournament this weekend.
Clayton has had a historic season for Florida. Earlier this week, he became the 1st player in program history to be named a 1st-team All-American by an official selector.
The last player from the SEC to take home the Naismith Award was Kentucky center Oscar Tshiebwe back in 2022. This award has been handed out annually since 1969. Previous winners include college basketball legends such as Zion Williamson, Anthony Davis, Tyler Hansbrough, Tim Duncan, Christian Laettner, Michael Jordan, Larry Bird, Lew Alcindor and many more.
Four finalists for this award will be named on March 25. The winner will be announced on April 6 during Final Four weekend.
Spenser is a news editor for Saturday Down South and covers college football across all Saturday Football brands.
