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2025-26 NBA Awards for Players From Schools in West

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  By Aidin Ebrahimi, SuperWest Sports


NBA logoThe 2025-26 NBA regular season is over, with only the Play-In tournament standing between us and the 2026 playoffs!

The Western Conference’s playoff bracket is looking especially spicy, with teams such as the Thunder, Spurs, and Nuggets all looking to add another championship banner.

And if Luka Dončić can return early, the Lakers and the 41-year-old LeBron James could make a shocking run.

But we’ve heard more than enough about those guys; what about the league’s players from schools in the West? How did they do this season?

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I’m back with my final SuperWest report of the 2025-26 NBA season, covering the top veterans, rookies, and everyone else in between.

Let’s dive in and take a look at my SuperWest selections for the best players of the year from schools in the West.


SuperWest Most Improved Player of the Year

Dillon Brooks (Phoenix Suns, Oregon)

Dillon Brooks was on his way to becoming a secondary star for the Memphis Grizzlies before he spent much of the 2022-23 season feuding with seasoned veterans such as Draymond Green and LeBron James.

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That led Green to say, “The dynasty starts after you, not with you,” when asked about Brooks. The Grizzlies finally had enough of Brooks’ antics and traded him to the Rockets.

Brooks spent a couple of seasons as a solid starter for Houston, but it seemed like his potential as a scorer and secondary option would never be realized.

So, when he was traded to Phoenix as part of the Kevin Durant to Houston trade, nobody really cared.

Most NBA fans expected the Suns to be one of the worst teams in the league, but Brooks proved everyone wrong in his age-30 season.

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Dillon Brooks
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Brooks put up 20.2 points a night as the team’s second option behind Devin Booker, and the Suns had an unexpected 45-win season in a stacked Western Conference.

Those stats weren’t empty calories, either, as the Suns went 13-13 without Brooks, an absence mostly due to an untimely DUI arrest.

Even with the arrest, he hasn’t been nearly as controversial as he was in his final year with the Grizzlies, and he’ll seek a big payday soon, as his contract will expire after the 2026-27 season.

Also, the Grizzlies completely fell apart and never became a “dynasty”, and one could assume that Brooks had been praying for their downfall for the past few years.


SuperWest Defensive Player of the Year

Derrick White (Boston Celtics, Colorado)

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Typically, when a two-way player gets older and realizes that they can’t keep up playing at a high level on both ends of the floor, they’ll choose to focus on the offensive side of the ball, while “coasting” on the defensive end.

The exact opposite of this has happened for Derrick White.

He just had the worst season of his career shooting the ball (52.9 true shooting percentage and 39.4% field goal percentage), but he is still an absolute menace on the defensive end.

Derrick White
Rhona Wise/Imagn Images

White averaged 1.1 steals and 1.3 blocks per game this season, becoming only the third guard in the 21st century to record more than 95 blocks in a season (joining 2000-01 Tracy McGrady and 2008-09 Dwyane Wade).

White’s advanced stats are also great. He is one of two players under 6’5 with a defensive EPM (per Dunks&Threes) over +2.0 (+2.4), while CraftedNBA has his +2.6 defensive plus/minus in the 98th percentile of all players.

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SuperWest Rookie of the Year

Cedric Coward (Memphis Grizzlies, Washington State)

For the second year in a row, a Memphis Grizzlies player who is a Washington State alum wins my Ex-SuperWest Rookie of the Year award.

As mentioned previously, the Grizzlies are imploding, but at least they have Cedric Coward and Jaylen Wells for the foreseeable future.

Coward started the season on the bench, but quickly played his way into the starting lineup following multiple 20-point games.

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He was easily one of the most valuable players on the team, as he averaged an impressive +10.1 Plus/Minus Net Per 100 Possessions.

Cedric Coward
Petre Thomas/Imagn Images

Coward’s first major road bump came in the form of knee and back injuries, which kept him sidelined after the All-Star break.

However, he looked solid once he returned and finished the season strong once the Grizzlies’ fate had been sealed.

Coward put up 15.4 points in just 24.4 minutes per game while shooting 49.6% from the floor in his last 10 games of the year, and his 27-point season finale showed that he can become a star scorer one day.

The only major flaw in his game is his three-point shooting (33.8% on 4.4 attempts per game), and if he can improve that, the sky will be the limit for him.

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SuperWest Sixth Man of the Year

Jaime Jaquez Jr. (Miami Heat, UCLA)

From 2025’s Ex-SuperWest Biggest Letdown of the Year to 2026’s Ex-SuperWest Sixth Man of the Year, Jaime Jaquez Jr., has revived his career beautifully.

In my 2025 awards article, I mentioned how Jaquez’s 41-point performance in the final game of the 2024-25 season could help him regain his confidence, and that’s exactly what happened.

Jaquez averaged 15.4 points, 5.0 rebounds, and 4.7 assists a night while shooting 50.7% from the field this season, a huge jump from the 8.6 PPG he put up last season.

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Jaime Jaquez Jr.
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He also had an above-average PER (15.7) and VORP above 0.4 (1.1) for the first time in his career. Despite Jaquez’s success, the Heat are reportedly looking to trade most of their core after missing the playoffs.

If Tyler Herro and the modern NBA’s all-time leading single-game scorer, Bam Adebayo, aren’t safe from being dealt, then Jaquez isn’t either.


SuperWest Biggest Letdown of the Year

Brandin Podziemski (Golden State Warriors, Santa Clara)

As a Warriors fan, I am desperately hoping for a Jaquez-type turnaround for Brandin Podziemski. Podziemski famously sent the legendary Klay Thompson to the bench in his rookie season.

Despite a slow start, he ended his sophomore regular season with a bang, averaging 15.1 points while shooting 46.6% from the field and 41.0% from deep in his final 33 games of the campaign.

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Unfortunately, Podziemski struggled mightily in the 2025 playoffs, and his struggles carried over into the next season.

Brandin Podziemski
Jayne Kamin-Oncea/Imagn Images

Podziemski shot below 40% in 30 games this season, and went 80 games (almost 2,300 minutes) before he had his first truly great game of the year, a career-high 30-point night in a loss to the lowly Kings.

The 2025-26 season was the first time he recorded a negative Defensive Box Plus/Minus (-0.1) and a negative Plus/Minus Net Per 100 Possessions (-0.8).

With Stephen Curry getting older and more injury-prone, Podziemski has to step up next year.


SuperWest Most Valuable Player of the Year

Jaylen Brown (Boston Celtics, California)

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Kawhi Leonard had the best offensive season of his career, but since the Clippers missed the playoffs after losing to the Warriors in the Play-In, I had to pivot and give the award to Jaylen Brown.

Many expected the Celtics to bottom out due to Jayson Tatum’s injury and the lack of depth in the frontcourt. After a winless start in their first three games, the doubters thought that they were going to be proven right.

But Brown gave his blood, sweat, and tears (and yes, even a bit of his hair) to keep the team relevant.

Brown averaged 28.9 points, 7.2 rebounds, and 5.0 assists on 48.0% field goal shooting before Tatum’s return in March to lead the team to a 41-21 record.

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And after Tatum returned, the Celtics looked unstoppable, going 15-5 to end the year.

Jaylen Brown
Charles Krupa/AP

In all, the former Finals MVP had 35 30-point games and had career-highs in points, rebounds, assists, and free throws made per game.

Even with the increased volume, he shot the best free-throw percentage of his career (79.5%) while also leading the league in two-point attempts per game (16.0).

He also averaged the highest PER (22.0), Wins Above Replacement (8.9), Box Plus/Minus (3.3), and Win Shares (6.9) of his career.

With Tatum now back and fully healthy, Brown is looking to add another championship and potentially even another Finals MVP to his resume.

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‘Frustrated’ Scotland show growth against Belgium in World Cup bid

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That was the story of Tuesday night at Easter Road too. The Scots were dominant, created decent chances but just couldn’t put the ball in the back of the net, until McGovern did deep into stoppage-time to level.

In the Hibernian striker – who had six goals in seven games before this one – it does seem the Scots have found the goalscoring forward they’ve been missing.

But in both games she missed golden opportunities too. Though she was not the only one.

Andreatta insists the clinical edge which is still missing will come as “connections grow” between players.

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Lauren Davidson was drafted in from the off after her impressive performance and assist off the bench midweek, while Freya Gregory only earned her first cap last year, along with McGovern.

There’s still a bit of a transitional feel about things, but Scotland don’t have time for bedding in.

The players know it. Many have seen this movie before where they canter through qualifying campaigns but panic at the play-offs, which are guaranteed to come.

“Frustration” was the first word Docherty said in her post-match reflection.

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She, along with Weir, have been said to have been sharing horror stories of the past in camp this week. Fresh faces, such as McGovern and Miri Taylor have spoken of their importance.

Important to recognise but not be restrained by.

Andreatta has done well in her year to release the squad of their shackles and shift their mentality to one where Scotland leave Belgium with a point and a pang of pain.

A double-header with Isreal is the next challenge, but the overriding focus is getting her side ready to right their play-off wrongs later this year.

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Bruno Fernandes fury explained as potential red card missed in Man United win vs Chelsea

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Manchester United are a step closer to the Champions League after beating Chelsea on Saturday night but Bruno Fernandes was left unhappy with an incident late on in the match

Manchester United captain Bruno Fernandes reacted with fury over a potential missed red card during Saturday’s 1-0 win at Chelsea. Michael Carrick’s side have taken a huge leap towards Champions League qualification after Matheus Cunha’s first-half goal secured all three points at Stamford Bridge.

The Reds are now 10 points clear of sixth-placed Chelsea, who sit just one place below the final qualification spot for Europe’s elite competition. It means Carrick’s team need a maximum of six more points from their remaining five games to qualify for the Champions League – a competition they have been absent from since 2023.

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But Fernandes was far from happy with referee Michael Oliver during United’s win in west London. The Portuguese midfielder showed his displeasure after Blues player Romeo Lavia appeared to step on him after he was fouled.

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If Oliver had deemed that Lavia did stamp on Fernandes, then the Chelsea midfielder would almost certainly have been shown a red card for violent conduct. Instead, no card was shown.

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The incident is unlikely to dampen United’s mood, however. The Reds have been transformed since interim head coach Carrick succeeded Ruben Amorim in January.

Carrick’s men have lost just twice all year in the league and look almost certain to seal a spot in the Champions League after a season out of Europe. Fernandes is not getting carried away though.

Speaking to TNT Sports after Saturday’s win, he said: “It’s an amazing feeling for us, we had to bounce back, not just about Leeds, we had two games that we didn’t win.

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“We knew we had to make a great performance because Chelsea are good side. It’s important for us because our aim is to be top four, making distance is perfect for us.

“I feel three points closer [to Champions League qualification], we have another game that we have to win. We know we need points to get that place secured and we will do everything possible to be as quick as possible.”

Fernandes is also now just two assists shy of the Premier League assist record. The 31-year-old has five games left to at least equal the 20 assists set by Thierry Henry and Kevin de Bruyne.

He added: “I say every time I want to do better than the season before. I want to improve my game overall.

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“I need to improve every week because I want to become a better player and end my career as the best as possible.”

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Noble Yeats death: Tributes paid to former Grand National winner after death aged 11

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Noble Yeats, the former Grand National winner, has died after a bout of colic aged 11.

The horse created history in 2022 by pulling off one of the greatest upsets in Grand National history to clinch victory as a 50-1 outsider.

Noble Yeats was connected with amateur jockey Sam Waley-Cohen, with that famous ride around Aintree the last of his career.

“He gave us one of the great days of our lives and fulfilled our dreams,” said Waley-Cohen, who added that “his ability outstripped his looks,” having “grown into a great champion.”

Noble Yeats, without Waley-Cohen now, made two further appearances at the National, finishing fourth behind Corach Rambler in 2023 and then out of contention behind I Am Maximus in 2024.

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Harry Cobden riding Noble Yeats at Cheltenham
Harry Cobden riding Noble Yeats at Cheltenham (Getty)

“He was brilliant for us and was one of those special horses,” Waley-Cohen said, with the horse winning seven of his 24 races and earning more than £750,000 in prize-money.

Noble Yeats, trained by Emmet Mullins, also won the Cleeve Hurdle at Cheltenham in 2024 under Harry Cobden, and made his last appearance in 2024 in the Savills Hurdle at Leopardstown, pulling up before the decision was made to retire due to arthritis.

Owner Robert Waley-Cohen, who had purchased Noble Yeats just two months before victory in the greatest race of them all, described the “grim moment” after Noble Yeats’ health took a turn for the worse.

He said: “He looked very uncomfortable on Wednesday, so the vet came out and everybody was up all night treating him and hoping he would pull through, but unfortunately he went the other way.

(PA)

“He was living the life of a retired horse in the field with [2011 Gold Cup winner] Long Run and [2011 Grand National runner-up] Oscar Time.”

He added: “He was enormous fun at the National and afterwards. The memories of the National are unbelievable – you could not have a better day. It’s the dream of a lifetime to win the National, and to win it with your son made it even more special.”

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“His Mom Makes Food And Brings It To Hotel”: Preity Zinta’s Big Revelation About Punjab Kings Star

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Punjab Kings co-owner Preity Zinta heaped praise on star batter Prabhsimran Singh while commenting on a social media post on Saturday. A user shared the inspiring journey of the PBKS opener, and co-owner Preity could not stop herself from reacting to it. She lauded Prabhsimran’s behaviour while also revealing that his mother cooks and brings food to the hotel for the entire team every Indian Premier League season. The player has been a part of the PBKS squad since IPL 2019. He was initially bought for Rs 4.80 crore. The wicketkeeper-batter currently earns Rs 4 crore per season from the franchise.

“He is also soft spoken, well behaved and extremely sweet. His mom makes food and brings it to the hotel ( Best Kadi Chawal & Bhartha among other things ) for the entire team every IPL. I never heard him complain or come late when he sat on the bench. Watching him shine fills me up with so much joy cuz nothing is more rewarding than to see a good guy win. Sorry I couldn’t help commenting on ur write up as it popped up in my timeline (sic),” wrote Preity Zinta, reacting to the post on Prabhsimran.

Table-toppers Punjab Kings will bank on their strong batting to continue their winning run against a struggling Lucknow Super Giants, who are sweating over skipper Rishabh Pant‘s injury, in their IPL 2026 match in Mullanpur on Sunday.

PBKS, the only unbeaten side so far, have looked ominous this season with four wins from five matches, with one game against Kolkata Knight Riders washed out. The Shreyas Iyer-led side boasts a healthy net run rate of +1.067, thanks to their strong batting displays that have powered clinical chases.

The Kings have won nine of their last 11 matches while chasing since the 2025 season, underlining their dominance, and it was also seen in their recent win over Mumbai Indians. It will take something special from LSG to halt the home team’s momentum.

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Lucknow, currently seventh in the points table, are reeling from back-to-back losses, and Pant’s elbow injury in the previous match against Royal Challengers Bengaluru has further dented their campaign.

(With PTI Inputs)


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Women’s World Cup qualifying: Lessons to be learned as Wales chase top spot

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“It was about the three points but lessons need to be learned,” former Wales striker Gwennan Harries told Match of the Day Wales.

Wilkinson’s side had overwhelmed Albania in a 4-0 win in Wrexham four days earlier, when the hosts’ only frustration was that they did not score more goals.

But the return fixture had a very different look, with Wales struggling for fluency in possession as Albania sat deep but carried a threat on the counter-attack.

“At the minute, we’re probably not seeing Wales at their best and we’ve struggled at times to break down teams who sit back,” said another ex-Wales striker Helen Ward on BBC Radio Wales.

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“That’s where a Jess Fishlock can do something magic.

“We don’t have her anymore, so someone else is going to have to take that responsibility.”

The one goal Wales did manage was as scrappy as their performance, Roberts bundling home from a Lily Woodham cross with Albania claiming the ball had gone in off the veteran defender’s arm.

There were other opportunities for Wales, Mared Griffiths coming close on a couple of occasions and Ingle shooting straight at Albania keeper Rajmonda Spahiu having seen an earlier effort ruled out for offside.

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Had one or two of those chances been converted, the evening would have had a different feel.

As it was, there was tension in the air right up until the final whistle, with Safia Middleton-Patel making a late save from Fortesa Berisha having earlier seen Ilarja Zarka’s drive rattle the bar.

“I thought Albania were really good,” said Ingle. “They blocked up, made it hard for us.

“They defended really well and they nearly punished us on a few transition attacks, so we were quite lucky at times.”

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Tony Bellew makes Usyk vs Moses Itauma prediction: “Nobody will beat him”

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Tony Bellew has considered whether Oleksandr Usyk, who dealt him an eighth-round stoppage defeat in 2018, can be beaten by heavyweight prodigy Moses Itauma.

Having become a three-time, two-division undisputed champion, there is little more the Ukrainian can achieve to further cement his greatness in the sport.

He has, after all, beaten Tyson Fury, Anthony Joshua and Daniel Dubois on two occasions, respectively, and therefore solidified himself as the greatest heavyweight of this era.

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The only way he can go one step further, it seems, is by making his mark on the next generation, which many predict will be dominated by Itauma.

Having become the WBO’s leading challenger, awaiting his mandatory shot at the world title, the 21-year-old has already established himself as a formidable contender.

This much was evident during his fifth-round finish over Jermaine Franklin last month, when Itauma stormed past the typically durable customer in emphatic fashion.

But while the dynamic southpaw has expressed an interest in facing the heavyweight king, Usyk is understandably less eager to present him with this opportunity.

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Instead, the 39-year-old is gearing up to face Dutch kickboxer Rico Verhoeven on May 23, defending his WBC world title at Egypt’s Pyramids of Giza.

Even if his next opponent happened to be Itauma, though, former world champion Bellew has told Seconds Out that he doubts Usyk would be defeated.

“He’s beaten everybody in front of him – there’s nothing more he can do.

“He’s entitled to what he’s doing in this next fight [against Verhoeven] and he’s earned the right to call the shots. He’s the boss.

“Absolutely nobody [will beat him].”

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After experiencing the full force of Usyk’s brilliance, albeit in 2018, Bellew is perhaps better-placed than most to give an honest assessment of Itauma’s chances against the Olympic gold medallist.

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Charley Hull shares throwback snap with Welsh golf veteran

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Charley Hull caught the people’s attention with her picture on social media. She shared a snap with Welsh professional golfer Mark Mouland on her Instagram story.

She shared the throwback picture on her social media story on Saturday and tagged the golfer in the caption. They posed at the Nailcote Hall Cromwell Course. Hull wore a pink top and black shorts for the outing.

Charley Hull shares throwback snap with Welsh golf veteranCharley Hull shares throwback snap with Welsh golf veteran
Charley Hull shares throwback snap with Welsh golf veteran

Away from the field, Charley Hull is enjoying a good time. Her last outing was at the Aramco Championship, where she carded four rounds of 70, 78, 75, and 70. She settled with a score of 5 over in a tie for 15th position.

On April 6, she shared a slew of a few pictures of her outing from the Aramco Championship. She posted the snaps with a sweet caption. She wrote:

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“What happens in Vegas… 😏 Fun week at Aramco Championship, nice T15 finish and memories made at Cirque du Soleil 🤸🎪 Next stop, Augusta”

In the post, she added snaps of her playing golf, and also of the outing she enjoyed in Las Vegas.


Charley Hull offers a glimpse of her practice session

Although Charley Hull is not playing in any official tournament this week, she made sure to practice her game. She offered a glimpse of her practice session on her Instagram account on Friday. She shared the post along with a sweet caption.

“It’s always great to be back playing & practising where I grew up as a little girl playing. I love this grass driving range. I really do have the best memories on it as a kid with my Dad & Kevin growing up. Very wholesome. ⛳️ Very impressed with the condition of Kettering golf club for this time of year,” she wrote.

For her outing, Hull wore a black T-shirt and matching pants.

She started her campaign this season on the LPGA Tour at the Hilton Grand Vacations Tournament of Champions. She carded three rounds of 70, 71, and 74 to settle in T17 place.

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She then played at the HSBC Women’s World Championship, which wrapped up with its finale on February 26. She carded four rounds of 72, 67, 74, and 69 to settle with a score of 6 under. She was tied for 10th place in the event.

This season on the LPGA Tour, Hull also played at the Ford Championship, where she played two rounds of 71 and 70. She, however, struggled with her game and missed the cut.

Meanwhile, in the last season, she played in 16 tournaments and made the cut in 14 of them. She recorded four finishes in the top 10 and won the Kroger Queen City Championship.