Vivians Named Naismith Trophy Player Of The Year Semifinalist
March 01, 2017 | Women's Basketball
STARKVILLE, Miss. – Mississippi State junior guard Victoria Vivians is one of 10 semifinalists for the Naismith Trophy Player of the Year Award, the Atlanta Tipoff Club announced Thursday.
Vivians and South Carolina's A'ja Wilson are the only two finalists from the Southeastern Conference.
Vivians is the leading scorer on Vic Schaefer's Mississippi State women's team that has compiled a 27-3 overall record and 13-3 SEC mark. The school-record 13 SEC victories took State to a second-place finish in the league, matching last season's squad for the highest conference finish in program annals.
Vivians, who was named First Team All-SEC by the league coaches on Tuesday and a Gillom Trophy finalist on Sunday, finished the regular season fifth in the SEC for scoring with a 17.2 average for the year. She also shined in SEC contests, knocking down a league fifth-most 18.1 ppg. The Carthage, Miss., native ended the regular season averaging 23.3 ppg in her final three games.
She scored double figures in 24-straight games and 28 of the team's 30 contests this season. She also notched 10 games with 20-plus points, including 25 and 27 against Texas A&M and Kentucky, respectively.
Vivians, who passed 1,600-career points this season, shined against ranked foes, tallying 20.8 ppg on the year.
She also stepped up on the defensive end in SEC contests, tying for ninth in the league with 1.7 steals per contest.
Vivians and the Bulldogs open SEC Tournament action at 5 p.m. CT Friday. The contest from Bon Secours Wellness Arena in Greenville, S.C., will be televised nationally on the SEC Network.
Friday's game can also be heard on the following radio stations around the state:
Mississippi State Women's Basketball Friday Radio Affiliates
2017 Naismith Trophy Women's Player Of The Year Semifinalists
Napheesa Collier, UConn
Brionna Jones, Maryland
Kelsey Mitchell, Ohio State
Kelsey Plum, Washington
Katie Lou Samuelson, UConn
Brianna Turner, Notre Dame
Victoria Vivians, Mississippi State
Sydney Wiese, Oregon State
Gabby Williams, UConn
A'ja Wilson, South Carolina
Vivians and South Carolina's A'ja Wilson are the only two finalists from the Southeastern Conference.
Vivians is the leading scorer on Vic Schaefer's Mississippi State women's team that has compiled a 27-3 overall record and 13-3 SEC mark. The school-record 13 SEC victories took State to a second-place finish in the league, matching last season's squad for the highest conference finish in program annals.
Vivians, who was named First Team All-SEC by the league coaches on Tuesday and a Gillom Trophy finalist on Sunday, finished the regular season fifth in the SEC for scoring with a 17.2 average for the year. She also shined in SEC contests, knocking down a league fifth-most 18.1 ppg. The Carthage, Miss., native ended the regular season averaging 23.3 ppg in her final three games.
She scored double figures in 24-straight games and 28 of the team's 30 contests this season. She also notched 10 games with 20-plus points, including 25 and 27 against Texas A&M and Kentucky, respectively.
Vivians, who passed 1,600-career points this season, shined against ranked foes, tallying 20.8 ppg on the year.
She also stepped up on the defensive end in SEC contests, tying for ninth in the league with 1.7 steals per contest.
Vivians and the Bulldogs open SEC Tournament action at 5 p.m. CT Friday. The contest from Bon Secours Wellness Arena in Greenville, S.C., will be televised nationally on the SEC Network.
Friday's game can also be heard on the following radio stations around the state:
Mississippi State Women's Basketball Friday Radio Affiliates
|
City |
Station |
Frequency |
|
French Camp |
WFCA |
107.9 FM |
| Jackson | WRKS | 105.9 FM |
|
Lucedale |
WRBE |
106.9 FM |
|
Meridian |
WMOX |
1010 AM |
|
Natchez |
WNAT |
1450 AM |
|
Starkville/West Point |
WKBB |
100.9 FM |
|
Tupelo |
WCNA |
95.9 FM |
|
Vicksburg |
WVBG |
105.5 FM |
|
Winona |
WONA |
95.1 FM |
2017 Naismith Trophy Women's Player Of The Year Semifinalists
Napheesa Collier, UConn
Brionna Jones, Maryland
Kelsey Mitchell, Ohio State
Kelsey Plum, Washington
Katie Lou Samuelson, UConn
Brianna Turner, Notre Dame
Victoria Vivians, Mississippi State
Sydney Wiese, Oregon State
Gabby Williams, UConn
A'ja Wilson, South Carolina
Players Mentioned
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