MBB’s Mitchell Named Naismith Defensive Player of the Year Finalist
3/23/2021 3:06:00 PM | Men's Basketball
Junior guard is one of four finalists for national Defensive Player of the Year
ATLANTA – Baylor junior guard Davion Mitchell has been selected as one of four finalists for the 2021 Naismith Defensive Player of the Year award, as announced Tuesday by the Atlanta Tipoff Club.
Mitchell is a finalist along with Alabama's Herb Jones, USC's Evan Mobley and Utah State's Neemias Queta. He's the second player in program history to advance as a Naismith Defensive Player of the Year finalist, joining Mark Vital, who was a finalist for the 2020 award. Mitchell and Vital were Naismith Defensive Player of the Year semifinalists in both of the last two seasons.
A Hinesville, Ga., native, Mitchell has already been named an All-America Third Team honoree by the AP, NABC and Sporting news, and he is the first player in program history named Big 12 Defensive Player of the Year.
Mitchell, who has earned the nickname "Off Night," ranks second in the Big 12 in steals (2.0/game) behind only teammate Jared Butler. He leads the conference in assists (5.4/game) and field goal percentage (.521), ranks second in assist-to-turnover ratio (2.07), seventh in 3-pointers made (2.3/game) and 12th in scoring (32.8).
At 6-foot-2, Mitchell has a chance to become the first player under 6-foot-5 to lead the Big 12 in field goal percentage in the conference's 25-year history. His current .521 mark is slightly ahead of Kansas' David McCormack at .515, with Baylor the only Big 12 team still competing in the 2020-21 season.
Baylor, which earned the first No. 1 NCAA Tournament seed in program history, won its first two games to advance to the Sweet 16 for the fifth time in the last 11 tournaments. The Bears face No. 5 seed Villanova at 4:15 p.m. CT Saturday on CBS from Hinkle Fieldhouse in Indianapolis, Ind.
Follow @BaylorMBB on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook for updates throughout the season.
2021 NAISMITH DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE YEAR FINALIST
Davion Mitchell, Baylor
Herb Jones, Alabama
Evan Mobley, USC
Neemias Queta, Utah State
2020-21 BAYLOR MBB HONORS
Jared Butler
Wooden Award National Ballot (1 of 15)
Naismith Trophy Semifinalist (1 of 10)
Bob Cousy Point Guard of the Year Award Finalist (1 of 5)
All-America First Team (unanimous)
Big 12 Player of the Year (AP; The Athletic)
All-Big 12 First Team (unanimous)
Big 12 All-Defensive Team
USBWA District VII Player of the Year
USBWA District VII All-District Team
NABC All-District 8 First Team
Academic All-Big 12 First Team
Naismith Defensive Player of the Year Watch List (1 of 15)
Lute Olson Award Midseason Watch List
NCAA National Player of the Week (Jan. 25)
Naismith Trophy Player of the Week (Jan. 25)
USBWA National Player of the Week (Jan. 26)
Big 12 Player of the Week (Jan. 25)
Scott Drew
Big 12 Coach of the Year (second-straight year)
Naismith Men's Coach of the Year Finalist (1 of 4)
USBWA Henry Iba Award Finalist (1 of 4)
NABC District 8 Coach of the Year
USBWA District VII Coach of the Year
Adam Flagler
Academic All-Big 12 First Team
Davion Mitchell
Naismith Defensive Player of the Year Finalist (1 of 4)
All-America Third Team (AP; NABC, Sporting News)
Big 12 Defensive Player of the Year
All-Big 12 First Team (coaches)
All-Big 12 Second Team (AP)
Big 12 All-Defensive Team (unanimous)
NABC District 8 First Team
USBWA District VII All-District Team
Naismith Trophy Midseason Team (1 of 30)
Big 12 Player of the Week (Feb. 1)
Jackson Moffatt
Academic All-Big 12 First Team
Mark Paterson
Academic All-Big 12 First Team
Jonathan Tchamwa Tchatchoua
Big 12 All-Newcomer Team
Academic All-Big 12 Second Team
MaCio Teague
Jerry West Shooting Guard of the Year Award Finalist (1 of 5)
All-America Third Team (NCAA March Madness)
All-America Honorable Mention (AP)
All-Big 12 Second Team (AP)
All-Big 12 Third Team (coaches)
Big 12 All-Tournament Team
USBWA District VII All-District Team
Academic All-Big 12 Second Team
NCAA National Player of the Week (March 8)
Big 12 Player of the Week (March 8)
Mark Vital
Naismith Defensive Player of the Year Semifinalist (1 of 10)
Big 12 Defensive Player of the Year (The Athletic)
All-Big 12 Honorable Mention
Big 12 All-Defensive Team (unanimous)
Karl Malone Power Forward of the Year Watch List
Mitchell is a finalist along with Alabama's Herb Jones, USC's Evan Mobley and Utah State's Neemias Queta. He's the second player in program history to advance as a Naismith Defensive Player of the Year finalist, joining Mark Vital, who was a finalist for the 2020 award. Mitchell and Vital were Naismith Defensive Player of the Year semifinalists in both of the last two seasons.
A Hinesville, Ga., native, Mitchell has already been named an All-America Third Team honoree by the AP, NABC and Sporting news, and he is the first player in program history named Big 12 Defensive Player of the Year.
Mitchell, who has earned the nickname "Off Night," ranks second in the Big 12 in steals (2.0/game) behind only teammate Jared Butler. He leads the conference in assists (5.4/game) and field goal percentage (.521), ranks second in assist-to-turnover ratio (2.07), seventh in 3-pointers made (2.3/game) and 12th in scoring (32.8).
At 6-foot-2, Mitchell has a chance to become the first player under 6-foot-5 to lead the Big 12 in field goal percentage in the conference's 25-year history. His current .521 mark is slightly ahead of Kansas' David McCormack at .515, with Baylor the only Big 12 team still competing in the 2020-21 season.
Baylor, which earned the first No. 1 NCAA Tournament seed in program history, won its first two games to advance to the Sweet 16 for the fifth time in the last 11 tournaments. The Bears face No. 5 seed Villanova at 4:15 p.m. CT Saturday on CBS from Hinkle Fieldhouse in Indianapolis, Ind.
Follow @BaylorMBB on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook for updates throughout the season.
2021 NAISMITH DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE YEAR FINALIST
Davion Mitchell, Baylor
Herb Jones, Alabama
Evan Mobley, USC
Neemias Queta, Utah State
2020-21 BAYLOR MBB HONORS
Jared Butler
Wooden Award National Ballot (1 of 15)
Naismith Trophy Semifinalist (1 of 10)
Bob Cousy Point Guard of the Year Award Finalist (1 of 5)
All-America First Team (unanimous)
Big 12 Player of the Year (AP; The Athletic)
All-Big 12 First Team (unanimous)
Big 12 All-Defensive Team
USBWA District VII Player of the Year
USBWA District VII All-District Team
NABC All-District 8 First Team
Academic All-Big 12 First Team
Naismith Defensive Player of the Year Watch List (1 of 15)
Lute Olson Award Midseason Watch List
NCAA National Player of the Week (Jan. 25)
Naismith Trophy Player of the Week (Jan. 25)
USBWA National Player of the Week (Jan. 26)
Big 12 Player of the Week (Jan. 25)
Scott Drew
Big 12 Coach of the Year (second-straight year)
Naismith Men's Coach of the Year Finalist (1 of 4)
USBWA Henry Iba Award Finalist (1 of 4)
NABC District 8 Coach of the Year
USBWA District VII Coach of the Year
Adam Flagler
Academic All-Big 12 First Team
Davion Mitchell
Naismith Defensive Player of the Year Finalist (1 of 4)
All-America Third Team (AP; NABC, Sporting News)
Big 12 Defensive Player of the Year
All-Big 12 First Team (coaches)
All-Big 12 Second Team (AP)
Big 12 All-Defensive Team (unanimous)
NABC District 8 First Team
USBWA District VII All-District Team
Naismith Trophy Midseason Team (1 of 30)
Big 12 Player of the Week (Feb. 1)
Jackson Moffatt
Academic All-Big 12 First Team
Mark Paterson
Academic All-Big 12 First Team
Jonathan Tchamwa Tchatchoua
Big 12 All-Newcomer Team
Academic All-Big 12 Second Team
MaCio Teague
Jerry West Shooting Guard of the Year Award Finalist (1 of 5)
All-America Third Team (NCAA March Madness)
All-America Honorable Mention (AP)
All-Big 12 Second Team (AP)
All-Big 12 Third Team (coaches)
Big 12 All-Tournament Team
USBWA District VII All-District Team
Academic All-Big 12 Second Team
NCAA National Player of the Week (March 8)
Big 12 Player of the Week (March 8)
Mark Vital
Naismith Defensive Player of the Year Semifinalist (1 of 10)
Big 12 Defensive Player of the Year (The Athletic)
All-Big 12 Honorable Mention
Big 12 All-Defensive Team (unanimous)
Karl Malone Power Forward of the Year Watch List
Players Mentioned
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