Ole Miss Point Guard Sean Pedulla Announced as Howell Trophy Finalist
Photo by Kylie Osullivan on Unsplash
Ole Miss has had an average season to date, sitting in 8th place of the NCAA Men's Southeastern Division. However, there is a silver lining in the shape of point guard Sean Pedulla who's performances have seen him named as one of the three finalists of the Howell Trophy.
Fans and students of the men's University of Mississippi basketball team haven't had much to cheer about, and the recent run of poor form will have put people off backing the team. However, sports betting expert Alexander Reed explains that the great selection of crypto sports sites offers lots of markets from which to choose.
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Those lucky enough to have featured Sean Pedulla in their betting will be delighted at his form this season.
Howell Trophy Finalists
The Howell Trophy is awarded by the Mississippi Sports Hall of Fame to the best men's college basketball player in the state. All four-year Mississippi college players are eligible.
The award started in 2005 with Mississippi State's Lawrence Roberts lifting the accolade for the 2004-05 season and Mississippi State has the most victories with 11 so far. Ole Miss is in second place having had 6 winners and 14 finalists, with the Devontae Shuler being the last winner in the 2020-21 season.
The trophy is named after former NBA All-Star and Mississippi State forward Bailey Howell who enjoyed a decorated NBA career after college, playing for the Detroit Pistons, Baltimore Bullets, Boston Celtics, and Philadelphia 76ers.
Pedulla is joined as a finalist for the award by Mississippi State's 20-year-old point guard Josh Hubbard and Jackson State's Daeshun Ruffin.
Pedulla's Season So Far
So far this season Pedulla has averaged 33.1 minutes from his 28 appearances with a 43.5% field goal percentage, 39.6 3-point percentage, and 82% free throw percentage. He has averaged 14.8 points per game with 3.5 rebounds, 3.8 assists, 0.2 blocks, and 1.9 steals.
There are some slight drops in averages on the last two seasons, and the team's recent slump in form will have something to do with this. The 2023-24 season saw him enjoy his best average points return of 16.4 per game, but there are still some fixtures to go this year that could transform his fortunes.
How He Got Where He is Today
Sean Pedulla was born in Edmond, Oklahoma on October 10th, 2002. Growing up, he featured for the Edmond Memorial High School basketball team where he was selected for two all-state teams. He was ranked as the 140th best prospect in the country and was snapped up by Virginia Tech where he played from 2021 to 2024.
During his time at Virginia Tech, Pedulla was the 2022 second top scorer and won the Basketball Hall of Fame Invitational MVP. In his three years at Virginia Tech, he averaged 12.1 points and made 325 assists in his 102 games.
The Intercollegiate Athletic Admin. major made an impressive start to his freshman career and featured in all 36 of his team's games. During his sophomore year, he started all of Virginia Tech's fixtures as point guard and was named in the All-ACC Third Team in his junior year.
He is up against some tough competition in Hubbard and Ruffin to lift the Howell Trophy this year, and his consistent form for his team this season puts him in a good position to succeed.
His defensive performances have been key to his nomination, and he ranks in the country's 50 for steals and third in the conference with 54. He also leads the way for Ole Miss in terms of points per game, made threes, and assists.
The trophy will be awarded by the Mississippi Band of Choctaw Indians and Pearl River Resort at the Golden Moon on March 10th. Tickets are available to purchase for the luncheon and presentation for those keen to support the rising stars of Mississippi basketball.