BOSTON, Mass. – CollegeInsider.com has announced the finalists for the 2025-26 Nolan Richardson Award, and Queens University of Charlotte men's basketball standout
Chris Ashby has been named a worthy recipient. The award is presented annually to a Division 1 player who is the heart and soul of his team and a leader on and off the court.
This season, Ashby led Queens to its first Atlantic Sun Conference Tournament title since joining Division 1 in 2022. The ASUN Preseason Player of the Year was named to the ASUN All-Tournament Team after putting up impressive numbers over the three-game journey in Jacksonville. In the championship game, Ashby connected on 10 threes, which tied the ASUN Tournament single-game record as he matched his career-high with 34 points to lead Queens to a 98-93 overtime victory against Central Arkansas.
On the year, the Houston, Texas native poured in 11.7 points per game on 37 percent shooting from the field. Coming off a season in which he broke the single-season school record for threes made, the sharpshooter has buried 109 threes this season, which is the third most in a single-season in program history. Earlier in the year, Ashby became the Royals all-time leader in three-pointers made with 390, a mark that ranks 41
st all-time in NCAA history.
The Nolan Richardson Award is named in honor of one of the true legends of the game. His frenetic style of fast-break basketball, with full-court pressure, helped him become the only coach to win NJCCA, NIT and NCAA National Championships. After winning a junior college national championship at Western Texas College, Richardson went on to lead Tulsa to the NIT Championship in his first season at the helm. He averaged 24 wins per season in his five years at Tulsa, leading the Golden Hurricanes to three NCAA Tournament appearances.
In 17 seasons at Arkansas, Richardson led the Razorbacks to 9 conference championships, 13 NCAA Tournament appearances, three Final Fours and the 1994 NCAA Championship. His famed "40 Minutes of Hell" produced over 500 career wins.
Nolan Richardson was inducted into the College Basketball Hall of Fame in 2008, and he was enshrined in the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame in 2014.
The recipient of the annual award is determined by a 10-member voting committee, which consists of current and former head coaches, as well as two senior staff members of collegeinsider.com.
The 2026 award will be announced in Indianapolis, Indiana, the site of the men's Division I Basketball Championship.
NOLAN RICHARDSON AWARD FINALISTS
| Chris Ashby |
6-2 |
Sr. |
Queens |
| Austin Benigni |
5-11 |
Sr. |
Navy |
| Rueben Chinyelu |
6-10 |
Jr. |
Florida |
| Jack Collins |
6-5 |
Sr. |
Monmouth |
| Melvin Council, Jr, |
6-4 |
Sr. |
Kansas |
| Zach Cleveland |
6-7 |
Sr. |
Liberty |
| Alonzo Dodd |
6-1 |
Sr. |
Appalachian State |
| Thomas Dowd |
6-8 |
Jr. |
Troy |
| Logan Duncomb |
6-10 |
Sr. |
Winthrop |
| Roddy Gayle, Jr. |
6-5 |
Sr. |
Michigan |
| Bryce Harris |
6-4 |
Sr. |
Howard |
| Nate Heise |
6-5 |
Sr. |
Iowa State |
| Sam Hoiberg |
6-0 |
Sr. |
Nebraska |
| TJ Hurley |
6-5 |
Sr. |
Vermont |
| Tavari Johnson |
5-11 |
Sr. |
Akron |
| Alex Karaban |
6-8 |
Sr. |
UConn |
| Boopie Miller |
6-0 |
Sr. |
SMU |
| Noah Ross |
6-7 |
Sr. |
UNCW |
| Braden Smith |
6-0 |
Sr. |
Purdue |
| Peter Suder |
6-5 |
Sr. |
Miami OH |
| Nick Townsend |
6-7 |
Sr. |
Yale |
| Seth Trimble |
6-3 |
Sr. |
North Carolina |
| Garfield Turner |
6-8 |
Sr. |
Drexel |
| Ace Valentine |
6-3 |
Jr. |
UMBC |
| Harry Wessels |
7-1 |
Sr. |
Saint Mary's |
PREVIOUS AWARD WINNERS
Henry Coleman III, Texas A&M (2025); Jamal Shead, Houston (2024).
