University of Georgia and Georgia Tech Teams Sweep Annual Honors
ATLANTA (March 31, 2025) – The Atlanta Tipoff Club today announced the 2025 Georgia Women’s and Men’s College Players and Coaches of the Year award winners. Each set of awards is won by the same institution, with the women’s awards going to Georgia Tech and both men’s honors are claimed by the University of Georgia. The honorees are:
Georgia Women’s College Player of the Year – Kara Dunn, Georgia Tech
- 2025 All-Conference Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) First Team
- 2025 USBWA National Player of the Week (Dec. 31, 2024)
- Ranked 9th in field goal percentage (49.3%) and free throw percentage (80.2%) in ACC
- Ranked 13th in scoring in ACC (15.5 ppg)
- Reached double figures in all but five games this season, owns eight 20-plus-point games and has three double-doubles
Georgia Men’s College Player of the Year – Asa Newell, University of Georgia
- 2025 Southeastern Conference (SEC) All Freshman Team
- 2025 National Association of Basketball Coaches (NABC) All-South Atlantic District First Team
- 4-time 2025 SEC Freshman of the Week (equaling Anthony Edwards’ mark for most FOTW certificates by a Bulldog)
- Ranked 3rd in field goal percentage in SEC and 50th in NCAA (54.26%)
- Ranked 9th in rebounding in SEC (6.9 rpg)
- Ranked 15th in scoring in SEC (15.4 ppg)
- Led Georgia in scoring and rebounding, the first freshman Bulldog to do so since Jumaine Jones in 1997-98
Whack Hyder Georgia Women’s College Coach of the Year – Nell Fortner, Georgia Tech
- Overall Record: 22-11; Conference Record: 9-9
- Tech jumped into the national rankings on Dec. 9 and spent 11-consecutive weeks in the Associated Press Top 25 poll
- At 15-0 record (3-0 ACC), Georgia Tech’s season start was the best by an ACC team since 2017-18 (since Louisville with 20-0)
- Defeated three top-25 opponents during the season: No. 14 (North Carolina), No. 21 (Oregon), and No. 23 (Nebraska), and secured its 12th NCAA Tournament berth
- Led Yellow Jackets to her 3rd 20-win season and fastest team in program history to reach 20 wins
- With a 100-61 rout over Pittsburgh, the Jackets recorded the largest margin of victory (39) against an ACC opponent in program history
Whack Hyder Georgia Men’s College Coach of the Year – Mike White, University of Georgia
- Overall Record: 20-13; Conference 8-10, achieved first four-game SEC win streak since 2014-15
- Georgia started the season 12-1, the Bulldogs’ best beginning since 1931
- Led Bulldogs to the NCAA Tournament for the first time in 10 years
- The Bulldogs played more than 60 percent of their games (20 of 33) against NCAA Tournament teams, with wins over teams seeded No. 1 (Florida), No. 2 (St. John’s) and No. 3 (Kentucky)
- Guided the Bulldogs to a 20-win campaign; the sixth time in 119 seasons that UGA reached 20 victories during the regular season, and also secured its second straight 20-win campaign, just the fifth time the Bulldogs have put together back-to-back 20-win seasons
- Played a nation-leading eight regular-season games versus AP top-10 foes
ABOUT THE ATLANTA TIPOFF CLUB
Founded during the 1956-57 season, the Atlanta Tipoff Club is committed to promoting the game of basketball and recognizing the outstanding accomplishments of those who make the game so exciting. The Atlanta Tipoff Club administers the Naismith Awards, the most prestigious national honors in all of college and high school basketball. Named in honor of Dr. James Naismith, inventor of the game of basketball, the family of Naismith Awards annually recognizes the most outstanding men’s and women’s college and high school basketball players and coaches. Other Naismith Awards are presented to the men’s and women’s college basketball defensive players of the year, as well as lifetime achievement awards to basketball officials and outstanding contributors to the game. UCLA’s Lew Alcindor received the first Jersey Mike’s Naismith Trophy in 1969, while the late Anne Donovan (Old Dominion) was the inaugural women’s recipient in 1983. Corporate partners of the Naismith Awards include AXIA Time, Jersey Mike’s, MOLECULE, Sharpie and Werner Ladder. For more information, visit www.naismithtrophy.com.
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Mallory Hadaway
Atlanta Tipoff Club/Naismith Awards
(256)682-0599