Gordon, Parker and Wiggins named finalists for Naismith Award

Then there were three. Aaron Gordon (Archbishop Mitty High School, San Jose, Calif.), Jabari Parker (Simeon Career Academy, Chicago, Ill.) and Andrew Wiggins (Huntington Prep, Huntington, W.Va.) constitute the remaining contenders for this year’s Naismith Boy’s High School Player of the Year, the Atlanta Tipoff Club announced on Thursday. Parker has committed to play for the Duke Blue Devils in the 2013-2014 season, while Gordon and Wiggins remain undecided on a college choice.

The candidates were selected by basketball journalists from around the country, who form the Naismith Trophy national high school voting academy. The selections were based on player performances during the 2012-2013 basketball season. The winner will be recognized at the Atlanta Tipoff Club’s Naismith Awards Banquet on Tuesday, March 19, 2013, in Atlanta.

“The competition in boy’s high school basketball becomes tougher each year, especially as the athleticism and talent of the finalists continue to reach new levels,” said Eric Oberman, Executive Director of the Atlanta Tipoff Club. “There are three extraordinarily talented contenders remaining and we know that it will be a close call to determine a winner.”

The Naismith Boy’s High School Player of the Year award was first presented in 1987 to Dennis Scott of Flint Hill Prep (Oakton, Va.), who later starred at Georgia Tech and with the Orlando Magic in the NBA. Other notable winners include Jason Kidd (1992, St. Joseph Notre Dame High School, Alameda, Calif.), Kobe Bryant (1996, Lower Merion High School, Ardmore, Pa.), LeBron James (2003, St. Vincent-St. Mary, Akron, Ohio) and Derrick Favors (2009, South Atlanta High School in Atlanta, Ga.). Last year’s boy’s winner was Shabazz Muhammad (Bishop Gorman High School, Las Vegas, Nev.) who is now playing at UCLA.

For more information, visit www.naismithawards.com.

2013 Naismith Boy’s High School Player of the Year Finalists
Last Name	First Name	Hometown	High School	Position	Class	College Choice
Gordon	Aaron	San Jose, CA	Archbishop Mitty High School	PF	Senior	Undecided
Parker	Jabari	Chicago, IL	Simeon Career Academy	SF	Senior	Duke
Wiggins	Andrew	Thornhill, Ontario	Huntington Prep	SF	Senior	Undecided