March 13, 2025
FINALISTS FOR 2024-25 NOLAN RICHARDSON AWARD
The players who are the heart and soul of their teams.
BOSTON, MA -- CollegeInsider.com has announced the finalists for the 2024-25 Nolan Richardson award. The award is presented annually to a division I player who is the heart and soul of his team and a leader on and off the court.
The Nolan Richardson award is named in honor of one of the true legends of the game. His frenetic style of fast-break basketball, with full-court pressure, helped him become the only coach to win NJCCA, NIT and NCAA National Championships. After winning a junior college national championship at Western Texas College, Richardson went on to lead Tulsa to the NIT Championship in his first season at the helm. He averaged 24 wins per season in his five years at Tulsa, leading the Golden Hurricanes to three NCAA Tournament appearances.
In 17 seasons at Arkansas, Richardson led the Razorbacks to 9 conference championships, 13 NCAA Tournament appearances, three Final Fours and the 1994 NCAA Championship. His famed “40 Minutes of Hell” produced over 500 career wins.
Nolan Richardson was inducted into the College Basketball Hall of Fame and 2008 and he was enshrined in the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame in 2014.
The recipient of the annual award is determined by a 10-member voting committee, which consists of current and former head coaches, as well as two senior staff members of collegeinsider.com.
The 2025 award will be announced in San Antonio, TX, site of the men’s Division I Basketball Championship.
NOLAN RICHARDSON AWARD FINALISTS
|
Tytan Anderson |
6-6 |
Sr. |
Northern Iowa |
|
Steven Ashworth |
6-0 |
Sr. |
Creighton |
|
Luke Barrett |
6-6 |
Sr. |
Saint Mary’s |
|
Austin Benigni |
5-10 |
Jr. |
Navy |
|
Henry Coleman III |
6-8 |
Sr. |
Texas A&M |
|
Jaylani Darden |
6-5 |
Sr. |
Norfolk State |
|
Duke Deen |
5-8 |
Sr. |
Bradley |
|
Geronimo Rubio De La Rosa |
6-2 |
Sr. |
Columbia |
|
Donovan Dent |
6-2 |
Jr. |
New Mexico |
|
Chucky Hepburn |
6-2 |
Sr. |
Louisville |
|
Jalen Jackson |
6-2 |
Jr. |
Purdue Fort Wayne |
|
Tavari Johnson |
5-11 |
Jr. |
Akron |
|
Kam Jones |
6-5 |
Sr. |
Marquette |
|
Tamin Lipsey |
6-1 |
Jr. |
Iowa State |
|
Sean Pedulla |
6-1 |
Sr. |
Ole Miss |
|
Will Pruitt |
6-3 |
Sr. |
Lipscomb |
|
Maxime Raynaud |
7-1 |
Sr. |
Stanford |
|
Zuby Ejiofor |
6-9 |
Jr. |
St. John’s |
|
J'Wan Roberts |
6-8 |
Sr. |
Houston |
|
Hunter Sallis |
6-5 |
Sr. |
Wake Forest |
|
Mark Sears |
6-1 |
Sr. |
Alabama |
|
Ian Schieffelin |
6-8 |
Sr. |
Clemson |
|
Max Shulga |
6-5 |
Sr. |
VCU |
|
Javon Small |
6-3 |
Sr. |
West Virginia |
|
Braden Smith |
6-0 |
Jr. |
Purdue |
|
Devin Tillis |
6-6 |
Sr. |
UC Irvine |
|
John Tonje |
6-5 |
Sr. |
Wisconsin |
|
Nick Townsend |
6-7 |
Jr. |
Yale |
|
Darrion Williams |
6-6 |
Jr. |
Texas Tech |
|
Zakai Zeigler |
5-9 |
Sr. |
Tennessee |
