Ashton Hagans has become one of the best defenders in college basketball, so it’s no surprise he was just named a semifinalist for the Naismith Defensive Player of the Year award.
Hagans was one of 10 players to appear on the Atlanta Tipoff Club’s late-season watch list on Thursday:
- Barry Brown -Kansas State
- Ashton Hagans - Kentucky
- De’Andre Hunter - Virginia
Hagans has emerged as one of the nation’s best perimeter defenders, averaging 2.0 steals per game, which ranks second in the SEC and fifth nationally among all freshmen.