Jackson, Miss. — Jackson State senior guard Daeshun Ruffin was announced Tuesday as a finalist for the 2026 Bailey Howell Trophy, according to the Mississippi Sports Hall of Fame. The award is given annually to the top male college basketball player in Mississippi.
Ruffin is among three finalists, joining Mississippi State’s Josh Hubbard and Southern Miss’s Tylik Weeks. The trophy will be presented during a luncheon at 11:30 a.m. Wednesday in the VIP Room at the Golden Moon at Pearl River Resort. Tickets are available online at www.msfame.com.
The guard, who was named SWAC Player of the Year and HBCUGo National Player of the Year, averaged 23.3 points and 5.3 assists during the season. He was one of only three players nationwide to average at least 20 points and five assists in the regular season. Ruffin scored in double figures in 19 of 20 games, with his only exception coming in the season finale when he left early in the first half against Mississippi Valley State.
He finished the season with 25 games of 10 or more points, including eight games of 30 or more. Ruffin also recorded 16 games with five or more assists, including three with 10 or more. He posted career-high 16 assists against Texas Southern, adding 22 points and a double-double in that game. Ruffin also had three or more steals six times, with a season-high four against Bethune-Cookman.
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