Montverde Academy (Fla.) senior ahead and Duke devote Dariq Whitehead and Sidwell Pals College (Washington D.C.) guard Kiki Rice were named the 2022 Jersey Mike’s Naismith Top College Avid gamers of the Yr.
Whitehead helped Montverde — ranked 6th in the US TODAY Sports activities Tremendous 25 — to a 21-4 regular-season file with 17.6 issues, 3.6 rebounds, 2.9 assists, 0.6 steals and zero.2 blocks in line with recreation. He joins R.J. Barrett, Cade Cunningham and Ben Simmons because the fourth Montverde participant to win the award.
“I’m humbled and venerated to transform the fourth Montverde Academy participant within the ultimate 8 years to obtain the Jersey Mike’s Naismith Award,” Whitehead stated, in line with liberate. “I wish to thank Trainer Boyle and the remainder of my coaches in conjunction with my teammates, in addition to Dr. Kasey Kesselring and the remainder of the Montverde Academy group for serving to to make this occur.”
Rice, a UCLA devote, averaged 16 issues, 7.6 rebounds, 5.2 assists and a couple of.8 steals in line with recreation this season. She is the primary McDonald’s All-American in Sidwell Pals College program historical past.
“It is a dream come true,” Rice stated. “I’m so venerated to be identified with the Jersey Mike’s Naismith Trophy by means of the choice committee from a gaggle of finalists that I in my view know to be remarkable avid gamers. I’m grateful for my circle of relatives, teammates and coaches as a result of I do know no doubt that with out them this wouldn’t have been imaginable.”
The Jersey Mike’s Naismith Top College Trophy for Participant of the Yr was once first introduced in 1987. The winners are decided on by means of a gaggle of basketball reporters from across the nation who shape the Naismith Awards nationwide highschool vote casting academy.
“In a extremely aggressive and exciting basketball season, Kiki and Dariq had been essentially the most remarkable avid gamers within the country and extremely deserving to be venerated with the Jersey Mike’s Naismith Top College Trophy as Avid gamers of the Yr,” stated Eric Oberman, govt director of the Atlanta Tipoff Membership. “They each have confirmed to be outstanding basketball avid gamers, and we would like them neatly as they proceed their careers on the subsequent degree.”
