Earlier this week, Montverde Academy basketball athlete and Oklahoma State University commit Cade Cunningham was named the 2020 Jersey Mike's Naismith High School Boy's Player of the Year. Cunningham now joins the list of MVA players and current NBA players who have won the award including New York Knicks guard R.J. Barrett '18 and Philadelphia 76ers forward Ben Simmons '15.
"To win this award is very important to me because all the greats that I look up to like Lebron James, Kobe Bryant and Jason Kidd were all Naismiths and now I get to join them. It's crazy to even think about," said Cunningham.
Leading up to the announcement, the Naismith finalists came down to Jalen Green, No.1 ranked player in ESPN's Top 100, Evan Mobley, No.2 ranked player, Gonzaga University commit Jalen Snuggs and B.J. Boston who committed to the University of Kentucky. Cunningham not only led the field in assists and rebounds but also was the only athlete to lead an undefeated high school team with an overall record of 25-0.
As a future Cowboy, Cunningham is the only athlete as an OSU signee to win the award. He is also the second highest-rated recruit in OSU program history behind Gerald Green, who opted to enter the NBA Draft after high school rather than play at Oklahoma State. With a plethora of talent and skills in his arsenal, Cunningham is projected to be an eventual high lottery pick in the NBA Draft. In the 18U Nike EYBL games this summer for the Texas Titans, Cunningham averaged 23.8 points, 7.0 rebounds, and 5.3 assists.
According to Jerry Meyer, 247Sports' Director of Basketball Scouting, believes Cunningham has "great size, strength, and athleticism for a combo guard who projects as an NBA point guard. Has top-notch body control and explosive athleticism. Adept at making plays in traffic. Attacks the rim with fury. Sees the court and delivers accurate passes on the move. Quality multi-positional defender and rebounder."
More about the Naismith Trophy:
Named in honor of Dr. James Naismith, the creator of the game of basketball, the first Naismith trophy was awarded in 1969 to UCLA's Lew Alcindor, later known as Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. The trophy was sculpted by Marty C. Dawe of Atlanta and has become among the most prestigious national honors awarded each year to top basketball players in the nation. The Citizen Naismith Women's Player of the Year Award was first given to Anne Donovan of Old Dominion University in 1983.
Each year the club's board publishes the "Naismith Watch" list that is made up of the top 50 players to watch in men's and women's college basketball. The organization also releases a list of 30 mid-season Naismith candidates. At the end of the season, the Citizen Naismith Trophy is awarded to the player of the year in men's and women's college basketball. A national voting academy of leading basketball coaches, administrators and journalists narrow the group down to four finalists based on player performance throughout the season. The final four Naismith finalists will make up the ballot and the player of the year is voted on by the group.
In 1982 the Atlanta Tipoff Club established the Outstanding Contribution Award to honor men and women who have had a positive impact on the game of basketball.
The Naismith Men's and Women's College Coach of the Year Award was established in 1987 and was originally given to the coaches of the men's and women's NCAA Division I Tournament Champions. In 1989, the governing board changed the selection criteria to the voting process used today in which the Atlanta Tipoff Club's Board of Selectors first votes to compile a top 25 list of coaches for each award. Then, through additional votes, the list is narrowed down to four and finally, the national winner.
Also in 1987, to honor the nation's best boys' and girls' high school basketball players, the Naismith Trophy Boys' High School Player of the Year and the Naismith Trophy Girls' High School Player of the Year were established. The board compiles a top 10 list of players from across the country for both awards. The winners are then selected by the board vote. The Naismith High School Boy's Coach of the Year and Girl's Coach of the Year categories were added in 2008.
In 2018, the Men's and Women's College Defensive Player of the Year was added to the Naismith family, with Jevon Carter and Teaira McCowan taking home the inaugural awards.
