SALEM, Va. --- The Jostens Trophy awards have long been coveted prizes in NCAA Division III men's and women's basketball by both student-athletes and their collegiate institutions. Kasey Draper of the Roanoke men's basketball team has been named one of 10 finalists for the presitigous award as announced Wednesday morning by the Rotary Club of Salem, Va.
Yesterday, Draper was named a College Sport Communicators (CSC) First Team Academic All-American. Earlier in the year Draper was named Academic All-District by the national organization. This past season, Draper was fifth in the Old Dominion Athletic Conference (ODAC) averaging 17.3 points per game. In addition he was 10th in the leauge with 6.6 rebounds per outing while shooting 43.4 % from the field and 70.3% from the free throw line. At season's end, Draper was named All-ODAC First Team honors after earning after earning All-ODAC honors both his sophomore and junior seasons. In the ODAC Tournament semifinals, he became just the 12th Maroon in program history to score 40+ points in a game.
In the classroom, the Roanoke native maintains a 4.0 Grade Point Average (GPA) in Business Administration with a minor in Spanish. Draper is a member of the Omicron Delta Kappa (Leadership Honor Society) and Delta Mu Delta (Business Honor Society). In both 2021-22 and 2020-21, Draper was named Academic All-State by the Virginia Sports Information Directors (VaSID).
The Jostens Trophy honors - one for men's basketball and one for women's basketball - are national awards created by the Rotary Club of Salem and sponsored by Jostens, Inc., to recognize the most outstanding men's and women's Division III basketball players of the year. The awards focus on three major criteria: basketball ability, academic prowess, and service to one's surrounding communities. The Jostens Trophy models the Rotary International motto of "Service Above Self" by recognizing those who truly fit the ideal of a well-rounded Division III student-athlete. The 2023 season marks the 25th time the Jostens Trophy honors will be awarded.
The Rotary Club of Salem is responsible for the initial review of the nominees, which it conducts over a two-week period. The Club's Jostens Trophy Committee objectively reviews the nominees and uses a numerical system to pare down the pools to an initial list of 20 finalists -- 10 for the men's award and 10 for the women's trophy.
The finalists will now be reviewed by the Jostens Trophy National Selection Committee. The committee is composed of men and women from across the country. The committee features current and former athletic administrators and head coaches, past Jostens Trophy recipients, and select members of the Division III media. The committee will spend the next two weeks reviewing the nominees with the aim of announcing the two winners on Thursday, March 23.
Listed below are the finalists for the 2023 Jostens Trophy awards (listed alphabetically by last name):
Jack Anderson, Keystone
Josh Angle, Claremont-Mudd-Scripps
Jeremy Beckler, Carleton
Tyson Cruickshank, Wheaton
EJ Day, Lasell
Kasey Draper, Roanoke
Jeffrey Hunter, Keene State
Josiah Johnson, Mary Hardin-Baylor
Steven Quinn, Hardin-Simmons
Cael Schmitt, Coe
