UCLA's Clark Named NABC Defensive Player of the Year
March 28, 2023 | Men's Basketball
KANSAS CITY, Mo. โ UCLA junior guard Jaylen Clark has been honored as the NABC's Defensive Player of the Year, as announced on Tuesday morning by the National Association of Basketball Coaches (NABC).
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Clark ranks fourth in the nation in steals per game (2.6), having averaged 13.0 points, 6.0 rebounds and 2.6 steals in 30 games during his junior campaign. The 6-foot-5 guard from Riverside, Calif., ranked first among all Pac-12 players this season in steals (78) and steals per game (2.6). He was honored as the Pac-12 Defensive Player of the Year, securing All-Defensive Team acclaim from the conference for the second straight season.
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Clark concluded the year tied for the No. 3 spot on UCLA's single-season steals record (78, tied with Darren Collison's total from 2006-07). He sustained a season-ending lower right leg injury in UCLA's final home game (March 4), just four steals shy of Cameron Dollar on the single-season list and 17 steals behind Jordan Adams' record-setting total of 95 steals.
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A second-team All-Pac-12 Conference selection in 2022-23, Clark shot 48.1 percent from the field and was the Bruins' second-leading rebounder (6.0 rpg, trailing Jaime Jaquez Jr.'s rebounding average of 8.2). His 78 steals were the most by any UCLA player since Jordan Adams set the school's single-season mark as a sophomore with 95 steals in 2013-14.
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Paced by Clark, the Bruins led the Pac-12 in fewest points allowed per game (60.7). UCLA currently ranks No. 7 in the nation in scoring defense.
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Clark tallied at least two steals in 23 of 30 games played. He finished with four steals in seven contests and opened the season with a career-high seven steals in a win against Sacramento State.
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Clark's defensive award was announced on Tuesday morning along with four other national honors from the NABC. Purdue's Zach Edey was honored as the NABC Division I Player of the Year and the Pete Newell Big Man of the Year presented by Adidas. Alabama's Brandon Miller was recognized as the NABC Freshman of the Year. Shaka Smart was honored as the NABC Division I Coach of the Year.
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UCLA finished the year with a 31-6 overall record, marking the program's highest single-season victory total (31) since going 31-5 in 2016-17. UCLA won the Pac-12 Conference regular-season title for the first time since 2013. The Bruins advanced to the championship game of the Pac-12 Tournament and moved into the NCAA Tournament's "Sweet 16" for the third straight season.
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