WBB Lauren Cox a Naismith Trophy Semi-finalist
2/10/2016 12:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
WACO, Texas - Baylor signee Lauren Cox has been selected as a semi-finalist for the 2015-16 Naismith High School Trophy presented by Hilton Worldwide, one of just 10 players nationally to earn the honor. Finalists for the award will be announced on Feb. 23.
Cox, a 6-4, forward (Flower Mound, Texas/Flower Mound HS) is the nation's No. 1-ranked player by ESPNW HoopGurlz. Last year as a junior, she averaged 21.7 points, 15.3 rebounds and 5.4 blocks per game and led her team to a 28-8 record and the Texas 6A state semifinals for the first time in school history. In 2015, she was named Gatorade Texas Player of the Year.
In addition, to Naismith Trophy semi-finalist honors, Cox has been named a 2016 McDonald's All American. She is averaging 20 points and 12 rebounds a game as a senior.
Cox is part of a signing class of three, which also includes Natalie Chou (Plano, Texas/Plano West HS) and Calveion "Juicy" Landrum (Waco, Texas/La Vega HS), that ranks, according to All Star Girls' Report, No. 1 nationally while ESPNW HoopGurlz, lists Baylor at No. 2.
The Naismith Trophy All-American teams will be named on March 7 with the winner of the individual award named on Thursday, March 10, 2016.
The Naismith Awards were founded by the Atlanta Tipoff Club to recognize accomplished athletes, coaches, officials and contributors to high school and college basketball. 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 Women's Player of the Year Award was first given to Anne Donovan of Old Dominion University in 1983.
