MERCED, Calif. - University of California, Merced men's basketball junior guard Cameron Brown has been named as one of 20 semifinalists nationwide for the Arthur Ashe Jr. Sports Scholar Athlete of the Year award.

This award is sponsored by the Diverse: Issues In Higher Education Magazine to recognize outstanding young men and women from underrepresented communities who have distinguished themselves in their academic, athletic, and civic pursuits. Ten men and ten women were included as semifinalists. Cameron Brown is the only semifinalist from the NAIA and he is the second ever semifinalist in UC Merced history.

The NAIA All-America Third Team selection and Cal Pac Player of the Year led the Bobcats with 14.9 points per game and 1.3 steals per game this season. He was top three with 5.1 rebounds per game and 2.0 assists per game. Brown and the Bobcats won the 2025 Cal Pac Regular Season Championship with a 10-0 record.

In three years at UC Merced, Brown has totaled 981 career points and 100 steals. Both rank fourth in program history.

Off the court, Brown is majoring in management and business economics and has earned Daktronics NAIA Scholar-Athlete and CSC Academic All-District honors.

Brown is also committed to serving his community, including volunteering with the Human Help Project and B Up! of Merced County.

In Oakland, Brown has consistently volunteered for Gardner Food Bank, Boys & Girls Club, Parks Chapel Youth Department, St. Vincent DePaul Homeless Shelter, and Oak Creek Alzheimer's and Dementia Care Nursing Home.

Diverse: Issues In Higher Education will release its annual Arthur Ashe Jr. Sports Scholars special report edition on June 5, 2025. An awards ceremony announcing the winners will be held in New York City during the National Conference on Race & Ethnicity (NCORE) annual conference on May 29, 2025.

The top 10 men (in alphabetical order) are:

Jayo Adegboyo, University of Maryland Baltimore County, Track/Cross Country

Josele Ballester, Arizona State University, Golf

Jaemyn Brakefield, University of Mississippi, Basketball

Cameron Brown, University of California, Merced, Basketball

Christian Francisco, Rice University, Football

Quinshon Judkins, The Ohio State University, Football

Mawuli Nevis, Wabash College, Wrestling

Jami Schlueter, University of Washington, Track/Cross Country

Blaise Threatt, Weber State University, Basketball

Dylan Williams, Georgia State University, Soccer

The top 10 women (in alphabetical order) are:

Ginger Berry, Holy Cross, Rowing

Sheryah Gavel, Southern University and A&M College, Soccer

Brooklyn Holt, North Carolina State University, Soccer

Chia-Yu Hsieh, University of Washington, Golf

Emma Malabuyo, University of California, Los Angeles, Gymnastics

Marissa Mastracco, Hobart and William Smith Colleges, Soccer

Kiki Rice, UCLA, Basketball

Jaida Ross, University of Oregon, Track/Cross Country

Madison Scott, University of Mississippi, Basketball

Autumn Wilson, University of Georgia, Track/Cross Country
 

The 2024 overall winners were Olivia Womack from the University of Mississippi and Darius Robinson from the University of Missouri. Other past Arthur Ashe Scholars have included the University of Wisconsin's Russell Wilson (2011), the University of Tennessee's Kara Lawson (2003), San Diego State University's Marshall Faulk (1993), and Stanford University's Simone Manuel (2017), to name a few who have gone on to achieve great success.