Nebraska’s Jaz Shelley was named to the Ann Meyers-Drysdale Shooting Guard of the Year Watch List when the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame announced its list of 20 preseason candidates for the award on Tuesday, Oct. 17.
Shelley, a 5-9 guard from Moe, Australia (pronounced MO-ee), has been one of the nation’s best guards in each of her first two seasons as a Husker. The graduate student earned first-team All-Big Ten honors last season after averaging 14.5 points and 4.8 rebounds per game. She also ranked third in the Big Ten in both assists (6.2 apg) and three-pointers per game (2.4).
Shelley, who also earned recognition on the Ann Meyers-Drysdale Preseason Watch List a year ago, opened her Husker career by claiming second-team All-Big Ten accolades in 2022. She was also a member of the Big Ten All-Defensive Team while leading Nebraska to the 2022 NCAA Tournament. She averaged 13.1 points, 6.1 rebounds and 5.0 assists per game.
A standout in the classroom, Shelley was a CSC Academic All-District honoree while earning Academic All-Big Ten honors last season. A two-time participant at the NBA Student-Athlete Summit, Shelley was the only collegian on the Australian National Team at the 2021 FIBA Asia Cup, winning a bronze medal as a member of the Opals.
Shelley is one of five Big Ten Conference shooting guards on the 2023 Meyers-Drysdale Watch List, joining 2021 award winner Ashley Owusu, who claimed the honor at Maryland. She spent the 2023 season at Virginia Tech, before transferring to Penn State for the 2023-24 campaign.
Michigan’s Laila Phelia, Indiana’s Sara Scalia and Ohio State’s Celeste Taylor join Shelley in accounting for 25 percent of the watch list.
A group of returning AP All-Americans also fills the list, including Paige Bueckers (UConn), Sonia Citron (Notre Dame), Shaylee Gonzales (Texas), Ta’Niya Latson (Florida State), Charlisse Leger-Walker (Washington State), Charisma Osborne (UCLA), Owusu, Taylor and Hailey Van Lith (LSU). Bueckers (first team) and Owusu (second team) were AP All-Americans in 2021, while the rest of the previously named group earned honorable-mention accolades from the AP in either 2022 or 2023.
Shelley is one of 14 graduate students (9) or seniors (5) among the 20 Ann Meyers-Drysdale Award candidates, while five juniors also fill the list. The lone sophomore in the group is Florida State’s Latson.
The list of candidates will be narrowed to 10 in late January, with plans to announce five finalists for the award in late March.
For more information, visit the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame at www.hoophallawards.com.
2023 Preseason Watch ListAnn Meyers-Drysdale Shooting Guard of the Year (20)Ashley Owusu, Sr. (Penn State) – 2021 winner at MarylandLaila Phelia, Jr. (Michigan)Sara Scalia, Gr. (Indiana)Celeste Taylor, Sr. (Ohio State)Jaz Shelley, Gr. (Nebraska)Paige Bueckers, RJr. (UConn)Hailey Van Lith, Gr. (LSU)Sonia Citron, Jr. (Notre Dame)Ta’Niya Latson, So. (Florida State)Charlisse Leger-Walker, Sr. (Washington State)Charisma Osborne, Gr. (UCLA)Shaylee Gonzales, Gr. (Texas)Gabby Gregory, Gr. (Kansas State)Abbey Hsu, Sr. (Columbia)Hannah Jump, Gr. (Stanford)Gianna Kneepkens, Jr. (Utah)Quinesha Lockett, Gr. (Toledo)Brynna Maxwell, Gr. (Gonzaga)Sammie Puisis, Sr. (USF)JJ Quinerly, Jr. (West Virginia)
