Virginia Tech junior center Elizabeth Kitley is the Atlantic Coast Conference’s 2021-22 honoree for the Kay Yow Award for women’s basketball, while Hokies graduate forward Justyn Mutts has been selected as the recipient of the ACC’s 2021-22 Skip Prosser Award for men’s basketball.
Kitley and Mutts are the first Virginia Tech honorees for both ACC Scholar-Athlete of the Year awards.
The ACC women’s basketball Scholar-Athlete of the Year award is named in memory of the legendary Yow, who won 737 games as a head coach while directing NC State to four ACC Tournament championships and the 1988 U.S. Olympic Team to a gold medal. Yow, who passed away in January of 2009, is also remembered for her leadership and courage in her fight against breast cancer.
The Skip Prosser Award is presented annually to the top scholar-athlete in ACC men’s basketball. It is named in memory of Wake Forest head basketball coach George Edward “Skip” Prosser, who passed away on July 26, 2007. Prosser compiled a 291-146 career record in 14 seasons as a head coach, including a 126-68 mark in his six years with Wake Forest. Every Wake Forest senior he coached graduated, and the Deacons placed nine players on the All-ACC Academic Basketball Team during his tenure.
ACC Scholar-Athlete of the Year awards were established in September 2007 to be awarded annually to the top junior or senior student-athlete in their respective sports. Candidates for the awards must have maintained a 3.0 grade point average for their career as well as a 3.0 for each of the last two semesters. The award is based 60 percent on academic achievement and 40 percent on athletic accomplishment.
Kitley was a 2020-21 All-ACC Academic Team honoree and is a two-time recipient of ACC Honor Roll laurels. She has been named to Virginia Tech’s Dean’s List and the Athletics Director’s Honor Roll.
A native of Summerfield, N.C., Kitley was named the 2021-22 ACC Player of the Year. She ranks second in the conference in scoring with 17.7 points per game and is one of three ACC players with multiple 30-point games this season. She is one of just two ACC players averaging a double-double, contributing 10.2 rebounds per game. Kitley paces the conference in field-goal percentage at 53.8 and is also ranked No. 1 in the league in total double-doubles with 14. She is a finalist for the Lisa Leslie Award (the nation’s top center) and is on the Wooden Award Late Season Watch List.
A Senior CLASS Award finalist, Mutts earned his undergraduate degree in psychology and a master’s degree in agricultural and life sciences. He is currently on track to earn his third degree, a second master’s degree in educational psychology. The 2021-22 team captain was a 2021 ACC All-Academic Team selection and is a regular on the Athletics Director’s Honor Roll.
Mutts scored his 1,000th career point on Feb. 2 against Georgia Tech. A native of Millville, N.J., Mutts is averaging 10.0 points and leads the team in rebounding (7.3), assists (3.4) and steals (1.2).
The basketball All-ACC Academic Teams will be announced in April.
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