UCLA's Jaylen Clark Wins NABC Defensive Player Of The Year Award
Fresh off a breakout junior campaign, one Bruin has picked up one of the top individual honors in the nation.
UCLA men’s basketball guard Jaylen Clark has been named the National Association of Basketball Coaches' Defensive Player of the Year, the group announced Tuesday. Clark is still in the hunt for the Naismith Men’s Defensive Player of the Year award as well, getting pegged as a semifinalist on March 14.
The 6-foot-5 wing was on pace to break UCLA's single-season record for steals before his season ended with an Achilles injury in the regular season finale against Arizona on March 4. Clark underwent season-ending following the injury and missed both the Pac-12 and NCAA tournaments as a result. Had the Bruins had him and freshman big Adem Bona at their disposal, they may have advanced past No. 3 seed Gonzaga in the Sweet 16.
Clark averaged 13.0 points, 6.1 rebounds, 2.6 steals and 0.3 blocks per game in 30 appearances in 2023, while also leading UCLA and the Pac-12 in steals per game, steal percentage, defensive rating, defensive box plus/minus and overall box plus/minus.
With a defensive rating of 85.3, Clark posted the lowest mark of any Bruin since the stat started being tracked in the 2009-2010 season. In addition to winning Pac-12 Defensive Player of the Year, he also made the Pac-12 All-Defensive Team for the second year in a row, as well as the All-Pac-12 Second Team.
Clark reached at least four steals in seven separate games, including the regular season finale. Clark finished with three or more steals in 15 of his last 22 games, and he was averaging 2.8 steals per game since Dec. 10.
The Riverside native came up 17 steals shy of Jordan Adams' single-single steals record, finishing in third just behind Cameron Dollar.
As a team, UCLA currently ranks second in the nation and first in the Pac-12 in adjusted defensive efficiency, per KenPom.
While it is still unknown if Clark will return to Westwood for the 2023-2024 campaign, his draft stock was soaring prior to his injury. Its severity may be a deciding factor in whether Clark comes back to UCLA for his senior year.
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