ATLANTA – UC San Diego senior point guard
Hayden Gray has been named one of ten finalists for the Naismith Defensive Player of the Year Presented by Molecule award. The award will be presented at this year's Final Four next month in Glendale, Ariz.
On Tuesday, Gray became the first Triton to be named The Big West's Best Defensive Player. He leads the nation in steals (104) and steals per game (3.25). Gray has amassed 104 steals this season while committing just 44 turnovers. Playing in his second year at UC San Diego, Gray has started all 65 games over the two seasons. Gray was also named to the All-Big West Second Team.
The Naismith Defensive Player of the Year Presented by Molecule award is handed out by the Atlanta Tip-Off Club. Named in honor of Dr. James Naismith, the creator of the game of basketball, the first Naismith trophy was awarded in 1969. A national voting academy of leading basketball coaches, administrators and journalists narrows 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.
The Men's and Women's College Defensive Player of the Year have been awarded since 2018.
Gray and The Big West regular season champion UC San Diego open play at the Hercules Tires Big West Championship on Friday evening. Playing as the No. 1 seed, the Tritons will begin their quest for a title in the semifinal round at 6 p.m. on ESPN+, SiriusXM, and KSDT radio.
About UC San Diego Athletics
After two decades as one of the most successful programs in NCAA Division II, the UC San Diego intercollegiate athletics program has begun a new era as a member of The Big West in NCAA Division I. The 24-sport Tritons earned 30 team and nearly 150 individual national championships during its time in Divisions II and III and helped guide 1,400 scholar-athletes to All-America honors. A total of 83 Tritons have earned Academic All-America honors, while 38 have garnered prestigious NCAA Post Graduate Scholarships. UC San Diego scholar-athletes exemplify the academic ideals of one of the world's preeminent institutions, graduating at an average rate of 90 percent, the highest rate among public institutions in NCAA Division I or II. For more information on the Tritons, visit UCSDtritons.com or follow UC San Diego Athletics on social media @UCSDtritons.
