Kentucky star a finalist for college basketball’s top individual honor
The spread of the coronavirus pandemic might have shut down college basketball, but it hasn’t stopped University of Kentucky sophomore star Rhyne Howard from breaking new ground.
On Friday, Howard was named one of four finalists for the 2020 Citizen Naismith Trophy, which since 1983 has been awarded to the most outstanding player in women’s college basketball.
Howard’s Naismith nod comes on the heels of her selection as an Associated Press First Team All-American earlier this week. She’s the first player in program history to be named to the AP’s first team, and she would become the first Wildcat to earn player of the year honors should she win the Naismith Trophy.
Howard is the only underclassman to be named a finalist. Her competition is Oregon senior Sabrina Ionescu, Baylor senior Lauren Cox and South Carolina senior Tyasha Harris.
Howard was previously named Southeastern Conference Player of the Year by the league’s coaches. She ended the season second in the nation in scoring, averaging 23.4 points per game to go along with a team-best average of 6.5 rebounds.
A four-time SEC Player of the Week, Howard tied the single-game program scoring record with a 43-point performance in a win over Alabama and hit 84 three-pointers this season to set a UK record. She became the second-fastest player in program history to score 1,000 points, reaching the milestone during a 26-point showing in UK’s upset of No. 6 Mississippi State.
The winner of the Naismith Trophy will be announced April 3. Fans can vote for Howard at Naismithfanvote.com. Fan voting will account for 5% of the overall total.
Howard is also a finalist for the Cheryl Miller Award, which recognizes the top small forward of the year for women’s college basketball. Fans can vote on that award at Hoophallawards.com.
