Herbert Jones Named a Finalist for the Naismith Defensive Player of the Year Award
Alabama forward Herbert Jones is one of four players from around the nation who has been named as a finalist for the 2021 Naismith Defensive Player of the Year Award, the Atlanta Tip Off Club announced on Tuesday.
Jones is joined by Baylor’s Davion Mitchell, USC’s Evan Mobley and Utah State’s Neemias Queta as finalists for the fourth-annual honor.
The winner will be announced during Final Four weekend.
Jones is considered one of the top defensive players in the country, the Greensboro, Ala., anchors the nation’s No. 2-ranked defense in terms of efficiency according to Ken Pomeroy rankings
He's already been named AP All-American (Third Team), SEC Player of the Year, SEC Defensive Player of the Year, First Team All-SEC and All-Defensive Team.
Jones leads team in rebounding (6.5 rpg), steals (1.8 spg), deflections (106), floor dives (21) and blocked shots (1.1 bpg), while ranking second in charges taken (13).
No player in all of college basketball in the last 10 years has averaged numbers that high across those three key defensive stats while playing for a top-5 rated defense.
Additionally, there has not been a National Defensive Player of the Year winner in the last 10 years who has averaged numbers that high across those three key defensive stats, regardless of how strong their team’s defense was.
Jones has collected a team-leading 642.5 Blue Collar Points (BCP) – a system that includes players receiving points each game for deflections, steals, blocks, rebounds, floor dives and charges.
The 6-8, 210-pound forward is 205.5 better than the next closest player in Blue Collar Points
Jones has earned the team’s “Hard Hat Award” as the BCP single-game point leader in 16 of the Tide’s 31 games, with the next closest player earning four Hard Hat Awards
