Grant Williams named finalist for Naismith Trophy

Following SEC player of the year honors, Grant Williams is up for the Naismith Trophy. The award recognizes the most outstanding men’s college basketball player.

Duke’s Zion Williamson, Gonzaga’s Rui Hachimura and Murray State’s Ja Morant joined Williams as finalists.

Williams, a 6-7 junior forward, averaged 19 points and 7.6 rebounds per game this season. He shot 82 percent from the free throw stripe and started to develop an outside shot, making him just that much more dangerous and difficult to defend.

He saw improvements across the board this season, elevating his field goal percentage from 47 percent to 56 percent. His assist numbers went up from 1.9 to 3.1 per game, thanks to consistent double-teaming from opponents.

As good as Grant was, he’ll have a tough time beating out Zion for this honor. Duke’s star forward exploded onto the scene this year, scoring 22 points per and pulling down nearly nine rebounds per contest.

Fans can vote beginning on March 22nd, following this link.

The winner will be announced on April 7th, during the Final Four.