U.S. Basketball Writers Association News

St. John's head coach Rick Pitino rejuvenated the Red Storm’s program this season with a 30-4 record to date, reaching the 30-win mark for just the third time in program history and first time since 1985-86 as they head into the NCAA Tournament on Thursday. For guiding St. John’s to its first Big East Conference title in 40 seasons as well as the conference tournament title, Pitino has been named the winner of the 2024-25 Henry Iba Award, given annually by the U.S. Basketball Writers Association to its national coach of the year.

UCLA head coach Cori Close guided a roster full of stalwart players to an historic regular season that included a 23-game win streak and a No. 1 ranking for half the season. For her success challenging for the regular-season title and then winning the school’s first conference championship at the Big Ten Tournament in their first season in the league, Close is the USBWA National Coach of the Year for the 2024-25 season.

The Southeastern Conference boasts four standout players to headline the 2024-25 U.S. Basketball Writers Association Men's All-America Team, including three first-team selections. All four NCAA Tournament No. 1 seeds are represented on the team, which includes three repeat selections among the 17 players honored on three teams, with two players receiving honorable mention.

Many familiar faces are featured on the 2024-25 U.S. Basketball Writers Association's Women's All-America Team, with 11 of 15 players on the three teams having earned previous All-America honors from the USBWA.

Scott McConnell, the Assistant Athletic Director/Communications at the University of Texas who has represented men’s basketball teams there for nearly 27 years, has been named the U.S. Basketball Writers Association’s Katha Quinn Award winner for 2025. McConnell will receive the award on April 7 in San Antonio at a luncheon before the national championship game.

Marisa Ingemi of the San Francisco Chronicle – who covers Stanford, Cal and all things women’s sports for the paper – has been named the winner of the 2025 Rising Star Award by the Women’s Board of the U.S. Basketball Writers Association.

Brendan Marks of The Athletic, who covers Duke and North Carolina, has been named the winner of the 2025 Rising Star Award by the Men’s Board of the U.S. Basketball Writers Association.

In recognition of her long service to the game of women’s basketball, Rose DiPaula, Director of Strategic Communications and Content Development at the University of Maryland, has been named the U.S. Basketball Writers Association’s Mary Jo Haverbeck Award winner for 2025.

John Feinstein was a gifted storyteller because of how much he loved the telling, whether his words were shared over dinner the night before a big game or in the Washington Post the morning after.

"Full Court Press,” the 24th annual U.S. Basketball Writers Association sports writing seminar and scholarship competition, will take place on Friday, April 4 at The Alamodome in San Antonio with a series of exclusive experiences for undergraduate and graduate students with an interest in sports journalism.

The U.S. Basketball Writers Association Hall of Fame Class of 2025 honors seven reporters and columnists who have covered men’s and women’s basketball for a total of more than 230 years.

The U.S. Basketball Writers Association has named five Oscar Robertson National Players of the Week for games of the week ending Sunday, March 2.

For the final period through Sunday, March 2, the five Ann Meyers Drysdale national women’s honorees of the week are Iowa State center Audi Crooks; South Carolina forward Chloe Kitts; West Virginia guard JJ Quinerly; Maryland guard Shyanne Sellers; USC guard JuJu Watkins. The Tamika Catchings National Freshman of the Week is Duke forward Toby Fournier and and the National Team of the Week is Columbia.

The U.S. Basketball Writers Association has named five Oscar Robertson National Players of the Week for games of the week ending Sunday, Feb. 23.

For the period through Sunday, Feb. 23, the five Ann Meyers Drysdale national women’s honorees of the week are Oklahoma center Raegan Beers; South Carolina guard MiLaysia Fulwiley; Portland forward Alexis Mark; USC guard JuJu Watkins; Columbia guard Riley Weiss. The Tamika Catchings National Freshman of the Week is Ohio State guard Jalonia Cambridge and and the National Team of the Week is NC State.

Antonio Redding of Delaware Valley University (Doylestown, Pa.) and Lexy Harris of Washington University (St. Louis, Mo.) were named the U.S. Basketball Writers Association Division III National Players of the Week for the period ending February 23.

Elijah Farrington of the University of Mount Union (Alliance, Ohio) and Grace Bezold of Hanover College (Hanover, Ind.) were named the U.S. Basketball Writers Association Division III National Players of the Week for the period ending February 16.

The U.S. Basketball Writers Association has named five Oscar Robertson National Players of the Week for games of the week ending Sunday, Feb. 16.

For the period through Sunday, Feb. 16, the five Ann Meyers Drysdale national women’s honorees of the week are Drake guard Katie Dinnebier; Connecticut guard Azzi Fudd; North Carolina guard Reniya Kelly; Harvard guard Harmoni Turner; and USC guard JuJu Watkins. The Tamika Catchings National Freshman of the Week is Vanderbilt guard Mikayla Blakes and and the National Team of the Week is Texas.

Soren Richardson of Wheaton College (Wheaton, Ill.) and Mary Schleusner of Washington & Lee University (Lexington, Va.) were named the U.S. Basketball Writers Association Division III National Players of the Week for the period ending February 9.