Three finalists named for the Gatorade National Girls Basketball Player of the Year Award

The Gatorade National Girls Basketball Player of the Year Award announced on Thursday that it is down to three finalists for the most recognizable award in the sport.

And this year, the award has a very Big Ten flavor with two of the finalists set to play in the conference next season.

Last year, the award was won by Juju Watkins of Sierra Canyon (Chatsworth, California). As a senior in high school, she averaged 28.1 points and 14 rebounds per game.

Her freshman year at USC was no letdown, with Watkins going for 27.0 points and 7.2 rebounds per game.

Here are the three finalists for the Gatorade National Girls Basketball Player of the Year Award:

• Jaloni Cambridge (Montverde Academy; Montverde, Florida) – A class of 2024 guard, Cambridge is committed to play at Ohio State.  A complete player, Cambridge went for 20.4 points, 8.5 assists and 6.6 rebounds her senior season.
• Kennedy Smith (Etiwanda; Rancho Cucamonga, California) – A USC commit, Smith can score in bundles (20.1 points per game) and is a very strong rebounder (7.5 rebounds per game). Can also be a tough, tenacious defender on and off the ball.
• Joyce Edwards (Camden; Camden, South Carolina) – Heading to South Carolina this summer, Edwards is coming off a year where she had 31.3 points and 13.3 rebounds per game. A very strong defender, Edwards is developing a very nice inside/outside game.

USC is one of four new members heading to the Big Ten this fall as part of a dramatic shake-up in conference re-alignment.