Anderson named Nolan Richardson Award finalist

BOSTON --- UNI senior Tytan Anderson has been named a finalist for the 2025 Nolan Richardson Award, as announced by CollegeInsider.com on Thursday.

The award, named after College Basketball and Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame coach Nolan Richardson, is presented to the Division I men's basketball player that represents the heart and soul of his team and is a leader on and off the court.

Richardson's frenetic style of fast-break basketball, with full-court pressure, helped him become the only coach to win NJCCA, NIT and NCAA national championships. After winning a junior college national championship at Western Texas College, Richardson went on to lead Tulsa to the NIT title in his first season at the helm. He averaged 24 wins per season in his five years at Tulsa, leading the Golden Hurricanes to three NCAA Tournament appearances.

In 17 seasons at Arkansas, Richardson led the Razorbacks to nine conference championships, 13 NCAA Tournament appearances, three Final Fours and the 1994 NCAA Championship. His famed "40 Minutes of Hell" produced over 500 career wins.

The recipient of the annual award is determined by a ten-member voting committee, which consists of current and former head coaches, as well as two senior staff members of CollegeInsider.com.

Anderson, an Eldridge, Iowa native, earned First Team All-Missouri Valley Conference (MVC) recognition, along with MVC Scholar-Athlete of the Year honors and an MVC Scholar-Athlete First Team selection this year after posting a team-high 15.5 points per game average. Along with a team-best 6.5 rebounds a game while shooting 57.7% from the field. Leading the Panthers with 18 total blocks, Anderson, the 2023 MVC Most Improved Team captain and two-time MVC Honor Roll recipient, is also the conference's leader in made free throws and free throw attempts.

Anderson was named the MVC Player of the Week of Dec. 30, 2024 and notably scored a career-high 27 points at both Valparaiso and Belmont this season. He has notched six games with 20+ points this year and has scored in double-digit figures in all but four contests this year, having scored at least one point in his last 97 games dating back to the 2022-23 season.

The 2025 award winner will be announced in San Antonio, Texas as this year's NCAA Men's Final Four.

2025 NOLAN RICHARDSON AWARD FINALISTS
Tytan Anderson (UNI), Steven Ashworth (Creighton), Luke Barret (Saint Mary's), Austin Benigni (Navy), Henry Coleman III (Texas A&M), Jaylani Darden (Norfolk State), Duke Deen (Bradley), Geronimo Rubio De La Rosa (Columbia), Donovan Dent (New Mexico), Chucky Hepburn (Louisville), Jalen Jackson (Purdue Fort Wayne), Tavari Johnson (Akron), Kam Jones (Marquette), Tamin Lipsey (Iowa State), Sean Pedulla (Ole Miss), Will Pruitt (Lipscomb), Maxime Raynaud (Stanford), Zuby Ejiofor (St. John's), J'Wan Roberts (Houston), Hunter Sallis (Wake Forest), Mark Sears (Alabama), Ian Schieffelin (Clemson), Max Shulga (VCU), Javon Small (West Virginia), Braden Smith (Purdue), Devin Tillis (UC Irvine), John Tonje (Wisconsin), Nick Townsend (Yale), Darrion Williams (Texas Tech), Zakai Zeigler (Tennessee).

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