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ST. LOUIS (USBWA) – The U.S. Basketball Writers Association
has selected 20 outstanding players for its 2012 Oscar Robertson
Trophy Midseason Watch List. Members of the association's board
of directors chose the players to be included on the list as contenders
for the Oscar Robertson Trophy, to be presented to the national
player of the year by its namesake in New Orleans at the USBWA's
College Basketball Awards Breakfast on March 30.
 Three
North Carolina teammates and a pair of Kentucky freshman headline
the list. The Tar Heel trio of Harrison Barnes, John Henson and
Tyler Zeller join Wildcat first-year phenoms Anthony Davis and Michael
Kidd-Gilchrist. The list also includes Indiana's Cody Zeller, Tyler's
younger brother.
Three Oscar Robertson National Players of the Week from this
season are featured as well: Damian Lillard from Weber State, Doug
McDermott from Creighton and Thomas Robinson of Kansas. Last season's
Wayman Tisdale Award winner as the National Freshman of the Year,
Jared Sullinger of Ohio State, is also among the players to watch
down the stretch.
Overall, the list is balanced by class with five seniors, six
juniors, six sophomores and three freshmen appearing. The Atlantic
Coast Conference and Southeastern Conference each boast four players
on the list to lead all conferences, while a total of nine conferences
are represented.
Following is the complete watch list:
|
2012 OSCAR ROBERTSON TROPHY MIDSEASON WATCH LIST |
| Pos. |
No. |
Player, School |
Ht. |
Wt. |
Yr. |
Hometown |
| F |
40 |
Harrison Barnes,
North Carolina |
6-8 |
215 |
So. |
Ames, Iowa |
| G |
3 |
Isaiah Canaan,
Murray State |
6-0 |
193 |
Jr. |
Biloxi, Miss. |
| F |
23 |
Anthony Davis,
Kentucky |
6-10 |
220 |
Fr. |
Chicago, Ill. |
| G |
12 |
Marcus Denmon,
Missouri |
6-3 |
185 |
Sr. |
Kansas City, Mo. |
| F |
23 |
Draymond Green,
Michigan State |
6-7 |
230 |
Sr. |
Saginaw, Mich. |
| F |
31 |
John Henson, North
Carolina |
6-11 |
220 |
Jr. |
Tampa, Fla. |
| G |
23 |
John Jenkins,
Vanderbilt |
6-4 |
220 |
Jr. |
Hendersonville, Tenn. |
| F |
5 |
Kevin Jones, West
Virginia |
6-8 |
260 |
Sr. |
Mount Vernon, N.Y. |
| F |
14 |
Michael Kidd-Gilchrist,
Kentucky |
6-7 |
232 |
Fr. |
Somerdale, N.J. |
| G/F |
3 |
Jeremy Lamb, Connecticut |
6-5 |
180 |
So. |
Norcross, Ga. |
| F |
1 |
Perry Jones III,
Baylor |
6-11 |
235 |
So. |
Duncanville, Texas |
| G |
1 |
Damian Lillard,
Weber State |
6-3 |
195 |
Jr. |
Oakland, Calif. |
| F |
3 |
Doug McDermott,
Creighton |
6-7 |
220 |
So. |
Ames, Iowa |
| F |
43 |
Mike Moser, UNLV |
6-8 |
210 |
So. |
Portland, Ore. |
| F |
23 |
Arnett Moultrie,
Mississippi State |
6-11 |
249 |
Jr. |
Memphis, Tenn. |
| F |
0 |
Thomas Robinson,
Kansas |
6-10 |
230 |
Jr. |
Washington, D.C. |
| F |
23 |
Mike Scott, Virginia |
6-8 |
237 |
Sr. |
Chesapeake, Va. |
| F |
0 |
Jared Sullinger,
Ohio State |
6-9 |
280 |
So. |
Columbus, Ohio |
| F |
40 |
Cody Zeller, Indiana |
6-11 |
230 |
Fr. |
Washington, Ind. |
| C |
44 |
Tyler Zeller,
North Carolina |
7-0 |
250 |
Sr. |
Washington, Ind. |
| By conference:
ACC (4); SEC (4); Big Ten (3); Big 12 (3); Big East (2);
Big Sky (1); Missouri Valley (1); Mountain West (1); Ohio
Valley (1). |
| By class:
Seniors (5); Juniors (6); Sophomores (6); Freshmen (3) |
While these standout players are the leading contenders to be
named to the USBWA's All-America Team and as finalists for the Oscar
Robertson Trophy, all Division I players remain eligible for postseason
honors from the USBWA. The association will announce its 2012 All-America
Team in mid-March. At that time, finalists will also be chosen for
the player of the year. Once finalists are announced, the entire
USBWA membership will vote for the winner of the Oscar Robertson
Trophy.
Since the 1958-59 season, the USBWA has named a National Player
of the Year. In 1998, the award was named in honor of the University
of Cincinnati Hall of Famer and two-time USBWA Player of the Year
Oscar Robertson. It is the nation's oldest award and the only one
named after a former player.
Tickets for the USBWA's College Basketball Awards Breakfast are
$75 and $750 for a table of ten. They can be purchased online at
the association's official website, usbwa.com, or by calling 504-324-4242.
The U.S. Basketball Writers Association was formed in
1956 at the urging of then-NCAA Executive Director Walter Byers.
With some 900 members worldwide, it is one of the most influential
organizations in college basketball. It has selected an All-America
team since the 1956-57 season. For more information on the USBWA
and the Oscar Robertson Trophy, contact executive director Joe Mitch
at 314-444-4300.
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