Nebraska’s Alexis Markowski and Jaz Shelley were among the 50 women’s college basketball players named to the Jersey Mike’s Naismith Trophy Watch List, announced by the Atlanta Tipoff Club on Friday, Nov. 4.
Markowski, a 6-3 center out of Lincoln Pius X High School, was the 2022 Big Ten Freshman of the Year and was recently named to the 20-player watch list for the Lisa Leslie Award presented by the Naismith Memorial Hall of Fame and the Women’s Basketball Coaches Association of America (WBCA).
A 2022-23 preseason first-team All-Big Ten selection by the conference coaches and media, Markowski averaged 12.8 points and a team-leading 8.0 rebounds per game. She was even better during Big Ten play when she averaged team bests of 15.6 points and 8.6 rebounds while shooting 54 percent from the field, including 53.6 percent from three-point range.
She opened 2022-23 by putting up a double-double with 18 points and 10 rebounds in an exhibition victory over Washburn (Oct. 30).
Shelley, a 5-9 guard from Moe, Australia, was one of the nation’s most impactful transfers in 2021-22. The Australian National Team member led Nebraska in scoring (13.1 ppg), assists (5.0 apg), steals (1.8 spg) and blocks (0.9 bpg) while ranking second on the team in rebounding (6.3 rpg) from her point guard position. The Oregon transfer was the only Big Ten player to rank among the top 20 in the conference in all five major statistical categories.
Shelley, who was named one of 20 candidates for the Ann Meyers Drysdale Award in October of 2022, hit 82-of-202 three-point attempts (.406) last season, and her 82 makes tied for the fourth-best season total in school history.
With Shelley energizing the Husker offense outside, Nebraska ranked 10th nationally in scoring offense at 77.8 points per game, while producing the second-best scoring margin (+13.5 ppg) in school history. Nebraska finished 24-9 overall with a No. 23 NET ranking before earning a No. 8 seed in the 2022 NCAA Tournament.
Over the final six games, Shelley averaged 19.5 points and 4.0 made threes per game, including a school-record 9-for-13 effort from three-point range in a Big Ten Tournament win over Illinois (March 3). Shelley’s nine threes set the Nebraska game record while matching the Big Ten Tournament single-game mark. She finished with a career-high 32 points to go along with five rebounds, seven assists and two steals against the Illini.
Shelley, who finished with 21 double-digit scoring efforts, notched five 20-point games, including two 30-point performances. She also had six double-doubles, including just the fourth triple-double in Nebraska women’s basketball history with 14 points, 10 rebounds and 10 assists in a win over North Carolina Central (Nov. 20).
The midseason 30 team will be announced in early January, and then the competition will be narrowed down to 10 national semifinalists in early March. Following those results, four finalists will be named on March 21, 2023, and the winner of the 2023 Jersey Mike’s Naismith Trophy for Women’s Player of the Year will be announced on March 29, 2023.
“We have selected an elite group of athletes for the 2023 Jersey Mike’s Women’s Naismith Trophy watch list this year, and we look forward to keeping an eye on these stellar players and adding additional excellent players as the season progresses,” said Eric Oberman, executive director of the Atlanta Tipoff Club.
The Big Ten Conference placed the most athletes on the watch list with 10. The ACC, Pac-12 and SEC are close behind with nine candidates apiece. South Carolina, the 2022 NCAA Women’s Basketball National Champions, has three players on the list, which ties them with Tennessee for most candidates from a single school.
“The athletes on the watch list are the best of the best in their sport, and likely will provide a season full of exciting moments on the court,” said Jeff Hemschoot, vice president of marketing, Jersey Mike’s. “We are excited to watch these women compete as we get ready for another terrific season of women’s college basketball.”
Markowski and Shelley will open the 2022-23 regular season by leading Nebraska against Omaha on Monday, Nov. 7. Tip-off between the Huskers and Mavericks is set for Noon, following the Nebraska Life Skills Sportsmanship Pep Rally at Pinnacle Bank Arena.
