Gonzaga's Drew Timme named finalist for Naismith Trophy

Gonzaga's all-time leading scorer is one of four finalists for college basketball's biggest award

The accolades continue to roll in for Gonzaga’s three-time All-American Drew Timme as he was named a finalist for the Naismith Trophy on Tuesday.

Purdue’s Zach Edey, Indiana's Trayce Jackson-Davis and Jalen Wilson of Kansas joined Timme in contention for college basketball’s most prestigious award. The candidates were narrowed down from a list of 10 semifinalists that were announced on March 10. The winner of the Naismith Trophy will be awarded on Sunday, April 2, during the Final Four in Houston.

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Timme became Gonzaga’s all-time leading scorer this season after averaging 21.0 points per game, a career-high and the best mark in the West Coast Conference, while shooting a league-best 62.1% from the floor. He led the nation in two-point field goals and has the 10th-highest player efficiency rating at 30.5.

Timme took home his second consecutive WCC Player of the Year award while guiding Gonzaga to its eighth-straight Sweet 16 appearance. With 28 points against TCU in the second round, the 6-foot-10 forward became the seventh player in NCAA Tournament history to record nine 20-plus point games in the Big Dance. No other player has more such games, so Timme will have a chance to make history with another 20-point performance against UCLA in the Sweet 16 on Thursday.

Timme is also in contention for the Karl Malone Power Forward of the Year award, an honor he earned in 2021.

“When you really look at all of his accomplishments, he’s one of the all-time great college players in history,” Gonzaga head coach Mark Few said of Timme after the Zags’ win over TCU.

Edey was named the Big 10 Player of the Year following a historic season that saw him average 22.3 points, 12.9 rebounds, 2.1 blocks and 1.5 assists while recording a nation's-best 27 double-doubles. He became the first player in NCAA history to record 750 points, 400 rebounds, 70 blocks and 50 assists since blocks became an official stat.

The 7-foot-4 center guided the Boilermakers to a No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament before a monumental upset in the first round to No. 16-seed Farleigh Dickinson.

Jackson-Davis did it all for the Hoosiers, averaging 20.9 points, 10.8 rebounds, 4.0 and 2.9 blocks per game in his senior season. The first-team All-American became the first player to have at least 20 points, 10 rebounds, five blocks and five assists in an NCAA Tournament game.

As for Wilson, the Big 12 Player of the Year led the conference in scoring at 20.1 points and 8.1 rebounds per game. His scoring prowess was on full display all season long, as his 22 20-point performances were the most in the league.

"Each of the remaining candidates demonstrates a fantastic basketball playing ability, and their individual accomplishments reflect their talent and dedication to the sport," said Eric Oberman, executive director of the Atlanta Tipoff Club. "They have been instrumental to the success of their teams throughout the season, and we would be proud to call any of these finalists a Jersey Mike's Naismith Trophy winner."

Fans can vote for their favorite Naismith Trophy finalist from March 21-28 at naismithfanvote.com.