U.S. Basketball Writers Association News

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

Marcus Montagnino of Endicott College (Beverly, Mass.) and Alexa Charles of Hunter College (New York, N.Y.) were named the Basketball Writers Association Division III National Players of the Week for the period ending November 16.

For the period through Sunday, Nov. 16, the five Ann Meyers Drysdale national women’s honorees of the week are Navy guard Zanai Barnett-Gay, Iowa State center Audi Crooks; Michigan guard Olivia Olson, Washington guard Sayvia Sellers, and West Virginia guard Sydney Shaw. The Tamika Catchings freshman of the week is Maryland guard Addi Mack, and the team of the week is UCLA.

For their performances from the season's opening through Sunday, Nov. 9, the first five Ann Meyers Drysdale national women’s honorees are Fairfield roadrunner Meghan Andersen; Iowa State center Audi Crooks; Florida guard Liv McGill; Baylor guard Taliah Scott; and Princeton guard Fatima Tall. The first Tamika Catchings Freshman of the Week goes to USC guard Jazzy Davidson, and the Team of the Week is reigning NCAA champion UConn.

Sam Grieger of the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse (La Crosse, Wisc.) and Mary Schleusner of Washington & Lee University (Lexington, Va.) were named the Basketball Writers Association Division III National Players of the Week for the period ending November 9.

The U.S. Basketball Writers Association has named five Oscar Robertson National Players of the Week for games of the week ending Sunday, Nov. 9.

Nine All-Americans from last season highlighted by first-teamers Lauren Betts of UCLA and Hannah Hidalgo of Notre Dame are among 50 top players who make up the preseason watch list for the 2025-26 Ann Meyers Drysdale Award created by the board of the U.S. Basketball Writers Association. 

Twenty standout first-year players have been named to the preseason watch list for the 2025-26 Tamika Catchings Award by the board of the U.S. Basketball Writers Association.

Fifty standout returning players have been named to the preseason watch list for the 2025-26 Oscar Robertson Trophy by the board of the U.S. Basketball Writers Association.

Twenty-five standout first-year players have been named to the preseason watch list for the 2025-26 Wayman Tisdale Award by the board of the U.S. Basketball Writers Association.

President's Letter: Are you feeling what I’m feeling? Every October-into-November, that certain sensation of anticipation settles in that I can hardly bear. It’s a tingle of anxiousness and eagerness. It’s been so long since San Antonio. But the season has finally arrived once more, and with it, four of the best words are again our reality: college basketball is back.

The longtime head coach and recipient of the USBWA's Dean Smith Award passed away Tuesday.

After 50 years of chronicling some of the most memorable moments in local and national sports, Rick Bozich will soon step away from full-time journalism.

Remembered for his infinite capacity for friendship and his bear-hug embrace of family — as well as being the guy who put the pun in sports punditry — longtime Atlanta Journal-Constitution writer Jack Wilkinson, 74, died June 1 after a long battle with Alzheimer’s disease.

The legendary Dick Vitale is honored in St. Louis with the USBWA's Dean Smith Award.

The U.S. Basketball Writers Association Hall of Fame, an institution inspired by former executive director Joe Mitch to recognize outstanding journalists nearly 40 years ago, will bear his name, it was announced on Monday. The announcement was made at the association’s annual awards luncheon at the Grand Hyatt San Antonio River Walk on Monday.

Zach Osterman, whose coverage of Indiana University basketball this season included the departure of coach Mike Woodson, a highly-scrutinized search for his replacement and a failure to reach the NCAA men’s basketball tournament, has been named recipient of the Jim O’Connell Award for excellence in beat reporting by the U.S. Basketball Writers Association.

Photos from the 2025 USBWA Awards Luncheon on April 7 in San Antonio.

The boys and girls basketball teams at Palisades Charter High School in California, who completed winning seasons while coping with the trauma of the January wildfires that destroyed much of their campus and left several players without their homes, have been named the winners of the 2025 Perry Wallace Most Courageous Award and 2025 Pat Summitt Most Courageous Award by the U.S. Basketball Writers Association.