BOSTON—Utah Valley sophomore center Aziz Bandaogo has been named one of 25 finalists for the 2023 Lefty Driesell Award. The Lefty Driesell Award is given annually to the top defensive player in Division I basketball.
 
Bandaogo was recently named the WAC Defensive Player of the Year and WAC Newcomer of the Year. He also ranks third in the nation in total blocks (92) and fifth in blocks per game (2.88). His 92 blocks are the most swats ever recorded in a single season at Utah Valley. 
 
The Senegal native also ranks ninth in total rebounds (331), 10th in defensive rebounds per game and 10th in rebounds per game (10.3). He is only the second player in UVU history to average a double-double. His 15 double-doubles are the 13th-most in the country. 
 
The defensive award is named in honor of the legendary former coach Lefty Driesell. Driesell won 786 games in 41 years at Davidson, Maryland, James Madison and Georgia State. He ranks eighth on the NCAA career Division I coaches victories list and his teams at each stop were known for playing tenacious defense. From 1969-1986 at Maryland, his teams posted a 348-159 record, won two Atlantic Coast Conference regular season titles and one tournament title. Driesell also led Davidson, Georgia State and James Madison to the NCAA tournament, making him one of three coaches to reach the NCAAs with four different programs. His teams won a total of 16 regular season championships and six tournament championships. 
 
The recipient of the 2023 award will be announced in March, in Houston site of the men's NCAA Basketball Championship.
 
2022-23 LEFTY DRIESELL DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE YEAR FINALISTS
AChase Audige, Northwestern
Ace Baldwin, Jr., VCU
Aziz Bandaogo, Utah Valley
Reece Beekman, Virginia
Leaky Black, North Carolina
Moussa Cisse, Oklahoma State
Jaylen Clark, UCLA
Zach Edey, Purdue
Dajuan Harris Jr., Kansas
D'Moi Hodge, Missouri
Trayce Jackson-Davis, Indiana
Malique Jacobs, Kent State
Ryan Kalkbrenner, Creighton
Malevy Leons, Bradley
Dereck Lively II, Duke
Javion May, Sam Houston
Caleb McConnell, Rutgers
Liam Robbins, Vanderbilt
Marcus Sasser, Houston
Jamarion Sharp, Western Kentucky
Jamal Shead, Houston
Kellen Tynes, Maine
Connor Vanover, Oral Roberts
Amari Williams, Drexel
Zakai Zeigler, Tennessee