BOSTON, Mass. – Utah Valley junior guard Dominick Nelson has been named a finalist for the 2024-25 Riley Wallace Award, CollegeInsider.com announced Wednesday. The award is presented annually to the most impactful transfer in Division I college basketball.

Nelson has been a game-changer for Utah Valley this season, leading the Wolverines to the outright WAC regular-season championship while earning WAC Player of the Year and First Team All-WAC honors. The 6-foot-5 junior led UVU in scoring at 15.5 points per game, ranking among the WAC's best in free throws made (151, No. 1 in WAC) and total points (465, No. 3 in WAC). He has been instrumental in Utah Valley's impressive stretch, helping the Wolverines win 18 of their last 19 games and enter the postseason on an eight-game winning streak.

The Riley Wallace Award, named after the legendary former Hawai'i head coach Riley Wallace, recognizes the top transfer in college basketball each season. Wallace, the winningest coach in Hawai'i history, was known for developing transfers and leading the Rainbow Warriors to nine postseason appearances.

Nelson is one of 28 finalists for the award and is looking to become the second Utah Valley player to win it, following Fardaws Aimaq in 2021. Past winners include Tennessee's Dalton Knecht (2024), North Carolina's Brady Manek (2022), and Pittsburgh's Blake Hinson (2023).

The winner of the 2025 Riley Wallace Award will be announced during the NCAA Men's Final Four in San Antonio.

Nelson and the Wolverines will be back in action tonight as the No. 1 seed in the WAC Tournament, taking on No. 9 Utah Tech in the quarterfinals at 6 p.m. PT / 7 p.m. MT at Orleans Arena in Las Vegas. The game will be broadcast live on ESPN+ and the Wolverine Sports Network.