Hailey Van Lith becomes the only TCU hooper on the Naismith Trophy watchlist

The TCU Horned Frogs’ new point guard Hailey Van Lith was named to the Naismith Player of the Year watch list on Monday.

The award is given to the most outstanding player in the entire Division I circuit after a panel of NCAA administrators, coaches and media personalities evaluates the recipients.

Iowa’s Caitlin Clark, the Gamecocks' Aliyah Boston and UConn’s Paige Bueckers are the previous three winners of the Naismith award.

Hailey Van Lith recorded one of her lowest season overalls with LSU last year. She averaged 11.6 points, 3.6 assists, 2.4 assists and 1.3 steals.

Other players on the watch list include Paige Bueckers (UConn), Alyssa Ustby (North Carolina), JuJu Watkins (USC), Flau'jae Johnson (LSU) and Shyanne Sellers (Maryland), among 44 others.

It is the fourth consecutive year Van Lith has been named to the watchlist. It is also the first time a TCU player has earned the honor in the last 14 years.

Angel Reese revealed Hailey Van Lith's struggles at LSU

Hailey Van Lith’s stock significantly dropped last year as her season totals looked similar to her freshman year. HVL’s former teammate Angel Reese believes that the guard’s game style did not align with the playbook Kim Mullkey deploys.

“I think it just wasn't a good fit for that specific team,” Angel Reese said on her podcast in September 2024. “She's an amazing guard that can do so many great things on the court.

"I've seen her kill for a long time and I know she'll continue to kill and I see her gain her confidence back on the three and three," she added.

From averaging 16.8 shot attempts in her third year for the Cardinals, her opportunities shrank to just 9.9 attempts per game. Moreover, HVL also shot a career-low of 3.6 3-pointers per game.

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