A season worth remembering.
Every season, the data we track tells a story. Shot attempts logged in early November practice sessions. Free throw percentages built through thousands of reps. Records improved through months of work that most people never see. The ShotTracker Awards exist to make sure that work does not go unrecognized.
This year, 27 team and individual awards went out to ShotTracker partner programs across the country, celebrating the standout performances, biggest improvements, and most dedicated programs from the 2025-26 season. From powerhouse programs to mid-major grinders, the list cuts across men’s and women’s basketball at every level of competition.
Here is every winner, and the story behind what the numbers mean.
Team Awards
The team awards recognize programs that led the way in effort, efficiency, and improvement over the course of a full season. These are not just numbers. They reflect the culture coaches built and the standards players held themselves to every day.
Hours Logged
Michigan State led all men’s programs in total hours logged on the ShotTracker platform this season. UCLA did the same on the women’s side. Hours logged is not a glamorous stat, but it is one of the most honest ones. It tells you which programs showed up and put in the work before anyone was watching. Both Michigan State and UCLA made a statement with theirs.
Shots Taken
High Point took the most shots of any men’s program in the country tracked through ShotTracker this season, which fits perfectly for a team that went 31-5 and proved it could play with anyone in March.
On the women’s side, Utah led all programs in total shot volume. Reps build habits, and both programs logged enough of them to back up their results.
Most Improved Record
Arizona earned the Most Improved Record award on the men’s side, reflecting one of the bigger program turnarounds of the season.
Arizona State took the women’s honor, a fitting recognition for a program in the middle of building something new under a coaching staff with serious momentum heading into 2026-27.
Most Improved Shooting
TCU made the biggest shooting improvement of any men’s program in the country this season, a development that reflects both player growth and the kind of shot quality work that ShotTracker’s platform makes trackable at the possession level. Texas Tech earned the women’s award, adding another layer to the Cowgirls’ already compelling offseason story as they head into a season with significant expectations.
Best Shooting Percentages
Arizona swept the men’s field goal percentage category at the team level, while Texas Tech led all men’s programs in three-point shooting. Indiana shot the highest free throw percentage of any men’s team in the country.
On the women’s side, UCLA led in field goal percentage, South Carolina topped the three-point shooting category, and Murray State earned the top spot in free throw shooting. Across both divisions, these numbers represent entire rosters committing to shot quality and converting when it mattered.
Newcomer of the Year
UCLA earned the Women’s Newcomer of the Year award, recognizing the incoming group’s immediate impact on the program this season. LSU took the Men’s honor, a reflection of how quickly new faces integrated and contributed within Coach Kim Mulkey’s program. Both awards speak to the quality of roster building happening at each program and the ability to get new players up to speed without sacrificing production.
Individual Awards
The individual awards celebrate the players who stood out within their programs and within the platform’s data. Some of these players are still competing. Others have moved on to the next chapter, the NBA, the WNBA, a new program, or graduation. In every case, what they accomplished in the 2025-26 season earned recognition that follows them wherever they go next.
Shots Taken
Ryan Crotty of Oklahoma State led all individual men’s players in total shots taken through the platform this season. Claire O’Connor of Colorado earned the same distinction on the women’s side. Volume like that does not happen by accident. It reflects a commitment to getting in the gym and doing the work consistently from the first week of practice through the final game of the season.
Specialist of the Year
Tyler Adams of Kansas State earned the Specialist of the Year award, the lone honor that spans both men’s and women’s basketball. It recognizes the player whose contributions within a specific role made an outsized impact on their program. Adams delivered exactly that for the Wildcats this season.
Best Field Goal Percentage
John Bol of UCF shot the highest field goal percentage of any individual men’s player tracked through ShotTracker this season, a remarkable efficiency number that reflects consistent decision-making and high-quality looks throughout the year. For the women’s side, Audi Crooks of Iowa State earned the same distinction, posting the best FG% among all women’s players in the platform. That kind of interior efficiency is exactly what made her one of the most sought-after transfers of the offseason, and it is now on full display heading into her new chapter at Oklahoma State.
Best Three-Point Percentage
Chase Johnston of High Point earned the Men’s Best Three-Point Percentage award before graduating this spring. His 48.6% from three on 146 attempts was one of the most efficient perimeter shooting seasons in the country and a big reason High Point’s offense was so difficult to guard. He leaves the program having set a standard the incoming roster will work to match. On the women’s side, Elle Evans of Kansas earned the honor before her own graduation. Her perimeter shooting gave the Jayhawks a consistent weapon throughout the season and contributed to what made S’Mya Nichols so effective as a creator alongside her.
Best Free Throw Percentage
Emanuel Sharp of Houston shot the highest free throw percentage of any individual men’s player in the platform this season before declaring for the NBA Draft, a fitting final note on a college career defined by efficiency and consistent execution.
Kiki Rice of UCLA earned the women’s honor before heading to the WNBA Draft. Both players leave their programs with hardware and with futures that reflect the level they competed at all season long.
Most Improved Shooting
Barrington Hargress of Colorado made the biggest individual shooting improvement of any men’s player tracked through the platform this season, a development that reinforces exactly why he projects as one of the most efficient creators in the Big 12 heading into 2026-27.
For women’s, Raven Johnson of South Carolina earned the same recognition before taking her game to the WNBA Draft. Her improvement this season was one of the quieter but more meaningful developments on a South Carolina roster full of talented players, and she takes that trajectory with her into the next level.
What These Awards Actually Mean
The ShotTracker Awards are not just a celebration of outcomes. They are a recognition of process. Every number on this list was built through practice sessions, film review, and a daily commitment to getting better at specific skills that the platform makes measurable.
Some of this year’s winners are already at the next level. Some are returning to their programs with new expectations. Some are starting fresh at new schools. In every case, the work they put in during the 2025-26 season shows up in the data, and the data does not forget.
Congratulations to every program and every player recognized this season. The numbers tell the story, and this year, the story was worth telling.
Want to see your program’s data from the 2025-26 season? Learn more about what ShotTracker tracks and how it can help your program build toward next season!
