Jaylen Clark becomes UCLA’s first Naismith defensive player of the year winner

A growing list of awards for Jaylen Clark is also a reminder of what could have been as well as what’s still to come.

The UCLA junior guard on Sunday was honored as the school’s first Naismith defensive player of the year, widely considered the nation’s top defensive award among college players. Clark ranked fourth in the nation with 2.6 steals per game before suffering a season-ending leg injury against Arizona on March 4, preventing him from participating in the Pac-12 and NCAA tournaments.

The others honored Sunday were Purdue’s Zach Edey as the winner of the Naismith Trophy that goes to the nation’s most outstanding player and Kansas State’s Jerome Tang as the Naismith coach of the year.

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At an awards brunch in Houston, Clark recalled going from a lightly recruited high school prospect to being told by coach Mick Cronin that he would have to play center as a 6-foot-5 freshman if he wanted more playing time. Clark’s nine rebounds in 18 minutes off the bench against Alabama in a NCAA tournament regional semifinal helped the Bruins upset the second-seeded Crimson Tide.

“I ain’t ever played center my whole life,” Clark said, “at 6-5 to guarding people like [Gonzaga big man] Drew Timme and stuff and getting fouled out.”

As a sophomore, Clark said, he didn’t feel like he had fully displayed his capabilities, leading to a summer of hard work and goal-setting.

“I hit every goal on my list,” said Clark, who also won the National Assn. of Basketball Coaches defensive player of the year award in addition to being the Pac-12’s defensive player of the year. “Unfortunate with the way my season ended, but very proud of myself and I am thankful for my family and everybody around me.”

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After declaring for the NBA draft earlier this week, Clark revealed Sunday during an interview with the NCAA’s Andy Katz that he had hired a NCAA-certified agent, preserving his ability to return to UCLA if he opted to withdraw from draft consideration by May 31. Clark also said his recovery timetable from his injury was eight to 10 months, meaning in a best-case scenario he could be playing again by December or January.

Clark is the second player from the Pac-12 to win the Naismith defensive player of the year award, joining Washington’s Matisse Thybulle in 2019. Other Bruins to win a Naismith award were Kareem Abdul Jabbar, who won the player of the year award in 1969 as Lew Alcindor; Bill Walton, a three-time player of the year from 1972-74; Marques Johnson, the player of the year in 1977; and Jim Harrick, the coach of the year in 1995.