Greenville, S.C. – Furman's
Alex Wilkins has been tabbed as a finalist for the 2025-26 Kyle Macy Award, which is presented annually to the top freshman in NCAA Division I college basketball.
Wilkins, a native of Mattapan, Mass., received most outstanding player honors while leading Furman to its second Southern Conference Tournament title in four seasons this past weekend. The point guard averaged 21.7 points per game in three tournament outings, including a career-best 34 points in the Paladins' semifinal round win over UNC Greensboro. His 34-point performance tied Jonathan Moore's school freshman record of 34 points, which he established versus Georgia during the 1976-77 season. Wilkins' 34 points marked the most by a Paladin in SoCon Tournament play since Roy Simpson netted 36 versus East Carolina in the 1972 championship game.
For the season, Wilkins has averaged 17.7 points and 4.7 assists per game while starting all 34 contests for the Paladins en route to earning second team All-SoCon accolades. His 601 points this season represent the most ever by a Paladin freshman. Through 34 games, he has reached double figures 28 times and scored 20 or more points 13 times.
The Kyle Macy Award is named for a guard who starred as a freshman for Purdue. The 1975 Indiana Mr. Basketball, Kyle Macy played his freshman season at Purdue University, averaging 13.8 points per game while leading the Boilermakers in free throws (85.9 percent for the season). He started in 25 of 27 games, helping them to a 16-11 season record.
After one season in West Lafayette, Indiana, Macy transferred to the University of Kentucky in 1976. He started every game for the Wildcats in 1977. A three-time All-America and three-time All-SEC player, Macy was a member of Kentucky's 1978 National Championship team. In his senior year of 1979-80, he became the first Kentucky player ever to be named consensus Southeastern Conference Player of the Year.
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, IN, site of the men's Division I Basketball Championship.
KYLE MACY AWARD FINALISTS
| Darius Acuff, Jr. |
6-3 |
Arkansas |
| Nate Ament |
6-10 |
Tennessee |
| Brandon Benjamin |
6-8 |
Fairfield |
| Leroy Blyden, Jr. |
6-1 |
Toledo |
| Cameron Boozer, Duke |
6-9 |
Duke |
| Mikel Brown, Jr. |
6-5 |
Louisville |
| Brayden Burries |
6-4 |
Arizona |
| Thijs De Ridder |
6-9 |
Virginia |
| AJ Dybantsa |
6-9 |
BYU |
| Preston Edmead |
6-1 |
Hofstra |
| Kingston Flemings |
6-4 |
Houston |
| Joel Foxwell |
6-1 |
Portland |
| Allen Graves |
6-9 |
Santa Clara |
| Larry Johnson |
6-4 |
McNeese |
| Kevair Kennedy |
6-2 |
Merrimack |
| Acaden Lewis |
6-2 |
Villanova |
| Ebuka Okorie |
6-2 |
Stanford |
| Koa Peat |
6-8 |
Arizona |
| Darryn Peterson |
6-6 |
Kansas |
| Hannes Steinbach |
6-11 |
Washington |
| Gavin Sykes |
6-4 |
Long Beach State |
| Keaton Wagler |
6-6 |
Illinois |
| Lewis Walker |
6-6 |
North Carolina A&T |
| Alex Wilkins |
6-5 |
Furman |
| Caleb Wilson |
6-10 |
North Carolina |
PREVIOUS AWARD WINNERS
PJ Haggerty, Tulsa (2024); Kyle Filipowski, Duke (2023); Malaki Branham, Ohio State (2022); Cade Cunningham, Oklahoma State (2021); Anthony Edwards, Georgia (2020); Zion Williamson, Duke (2019); Marvin Bagley III, Duke (2018); Justin Patton, Creighton (2017); Brandon Ingram, Duke (2016); D'Angelo Russell, Ohio State (2015); Jabari Parker, Duke (2014); Anthony Bennett, UNLV (2013);
Anthony Davis, Kentucky (2012).
