ST. LOUIS (USBWA) – The U.S. Basketball Writers Association has selected 12 outstanding first-year players for its 2013 Integris Wayman Tisdale Award Midseason Watch List. Members of the association's board of directors chose the players to be included on the list as contenders for the national freshman of the year award.

The award is to be presented to the national freshman of the year at the Devon Energy College Basketball Awards on April 15 at the National Cowboy and Western Heritage Museum in Oklahoma City. The Oscar Robertson Trophy presented by Aflac and the Henry Iba Coach of the Year Award will also be presented at the gala to be held annually the Monday following the NCAA Men's Final Four.

A trio of UCLA Bruins highlights the list that includes four players from the Pac-12 Conference. Bruin teammates Jordan Adams, Kyle Anderson and Shabazz Muhammad join Arizona State's Jahii Carson on the watch list. Also, Michigan teammates Glenn Robinson III and Nik Stauskas are recognized. Big 12 standouts from three schools were selected as well: Baylor's Isaiah Austin, Kansas' Ben McLemore and Oklahoma State's Marcus Smart.

UNLV's Anthony Bennett, along with McLemore, is also on the Oscar Robertson Trophy Midseason Watch List as a candidate for national player of the year. Rounding out the Tisdale Award watch list are Kevin (Yogi) Ferrell of Indiana and Nerlens Noel of Kentucky.

Following is the complete watch list:

The USBWA has chosen a national freshman of the year since the 1988-89 season when LSU's Chris Jackson was the recipient. Last season, Kentucky's Anthony Davis became the second winner of the Wayman Tisdale Award. Other notable previous winners of the national freshman of the year award include Kevin Durant, Carmelo Anthony, Jason Kidd and Chris Webber.

The Tisdale Award winner will receive a statuette designed by nationally-recognized sculptor Shan Gray. The April 15 banquet will also honor Michigan State coach Tom Izzo as the recipient of the Wayman Tisdale Humanitarian Award.

The late Wayman Tisdale was a three-time USBWA All-American at the University of Oklahoma. Following a stint on the 1984 U.S. Olympic basketball team, he played 12 seasons in the NBA before retiring in 1997 to focus on a blossoming jazz music career. In March 2007, he was diagnosed with cancer and, following a courageous and difficult battle that included the amputation of his right leg in 2008, he passed away in May 2009.

The Integris Wayman Tisdale Freshman of the Year Award is produced by Access Sports, an Oklahoma City-based 501(c)(3) not-for-profit foundation responsible for creating the Wayman Tisdale Freshman of the Year Award. Access Sports produces all events associated with the award, including the annual awards dinner. Proceeds from the activities affiliated with the award are used to support various worthy charitable causes, including providing opportunities for disadvantaged youth to participate in basketball leagues, clinics, and training throughout the state. In addition, Access Sports supports the Wayman L. Tisdale Foundation which helps fund prosthetics for those who cannot afford the cost on their own and may not be covered by insurance.

Tickets and sponsorship information for the Devon Energy College Basketball Awards are available at collegebasketballawards.com or by contacting Scott Hill (405-749-1515, scott.hill@access-sports.net).

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 its award programs, contact executive director Joe Mitch at 314-795-6821.

Related link:
• Integris Wayman Tisdale Award