The Mississippi Sports Hall of Fame has announced the finalists for the top male and female college basketball players in the state for the 2025 season.
Starting with the Howell Trophy, which goes to the most prolific hooper on the men’s side, a pair of talented Magnolia State natives and a transfer who has had an immediate impact on the court are competing for the honors. Up for the award are Mississippi State’s Josh Hubbard, Ole Miss’ Sean Pedulla, and Jackson State’s Daeshun Ruffin.
Hubbard, the reigning Howell Trophy winner, will look to reclaim his title as the top hooper in his home state. This season, the standout sophomore is averaging 18 points and 3.4 assists per game while serving as the anchor of a Bulldog squad projected to be a shoo-in to the NCAA Tournament. Recent projections from ESPN have Mississippi State (19-9, 7-8 SEC) as a 7-seed when March Madness rolls around.
Pedulla, a Virginia Tech transfer, has been Chris Beard’s most consistent piece in his second season in Oxford. The senior point guard is averaging 14.8 points, 3.8 assists, and 3.5 rebounds per game and has been one of the most efficient players at his position in limiting turnovers. Ole Miss (19-9, 8-7 SEC) joins its rival as a projected 7-seed in the NCAA Tournament.
Ruffin, formerly an Ole Miss Rebel, has had his breakthrough season after enduring numerous injuries over the past few years. The Jackson native has shined in the capital city, mounting 15 points, 4.2 assists, and 3.2 rebounds per game. He has led the Tigers (10-17, 10-4 SWAC) to the No. 2 spot in the SWAC as the team will look to earn an automatic bid into the NCAA Tournament by winning the conference.
On to the Gillom Trophy, which is handed out annually to Mississippi’s best women’s basketball player. Ole Miss’ Madison Scott, Mississippi State’s Jerkaila Jordan, and Jackson State’s Taleah Dilworth are the three finalists.
Scott, a fifth-year senior, has been an integral part of the program head coach Yolett McPhee-McCuin has essentially built from scratch. The point guard is averaging 12.2 points, 5.3 rebounds, and 3.8 assists. She is looking to lead Ole Miss (18-8, 9-7 SEC) to the team’s fourth straight NCAA Tournament. Current projections have the Rebels sitting comfortably as a 5-seed.
Jordan, a longtime member of Sam Purcell’s Lady Bulldogs, has made her mark on the hardwood this year, averaging 16.1 points and 5.9 rebounds per game. The fifth-year senior is working to cement Mississippi State (19-9, 6-8 SEC) as an NCAA Tournament team. Right now, the Bulldogs are listed as one of the last four byes, meaning they’re not expected to have to compete in a play-in game.
Dilworth, in her first year as a Jackson State Tiger, has been head coach Margaret Richards’ most reliable asset on the court. The Kentucky State transfer guard is averaging 15.5 points and 2.1 rebounds per game. Jackson State (13-12, 11-3 SWAC) has been a force in conference play, but will likely have to win the upcoming SWAC Tournament for a shot at being featured in March Madness brackets.
The finalists for both trophies were selected by a panel of statewide media who cover college basketball, with the same panel tasked to select this year’s winner which will be announced during a luncheon and presentation on March 10 at Pearl River Resort. Tickets to the ceremony can be purchased here.
About the Gillom & Howell Trophies
The Gillom Trophy is named after Peggie Gillom-Granderson, Ole Miss’ all-time leading scorer and rebounder. She coached in the WNBA and the Olympics and retired after a seven-year stint as associate head coach of the women’s basketball team at Ole Miss.
The Howell Trophy is named after Bailey Howell, a two-time All-American at Mississippi State and a six-time NBA All-Star who played on Boston Celtics world championship teams in 1968 and 1969. Howell, a 1977 inductee to the Mississippi Sports Hall of Fame and the first male Mississippi player inducted into the National Basketball Hall of Fame, still holds nearly a dozen records at Mississippi State.
