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ST. LOUIS (USBWA) – The U.S. Basketball Writers Association
has selected 15 outstanding players for its 2013-14 Oscar Robertson
Trophy Preseason 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.
 The
award is to be presented to the national player of the year by its
namesake at the Devon Energy College Basketball Awards
on April 14, 2014, at the National Cowboy and Western Heritage Museum in
Oklahoma City. The Henry Iba Coach of the Year Award
and the Integris Wayman Tisdale Freshman of the Year Award
will also be presented at the gala to be held annually the Monday
following the NCAA Men's Final Four.
Oklahoma State guard Marcus Smart, the 2013
Big 12 Player of the Year and Wayman Tisdale Award winner as the
national freshman of the year, leads the watch list and is the
USBWA's preseason selection as the Player of the Year. Creighton
forward Doug McDermott, a first-team USBWA
All-American a year ago, also headlines the list.
The Big Ten, led by Michigan State teammates Gary
Harris and Adreian Payne, leads all
conferences with four players recognized, and seven total
conferences are represented. Overall, the watch list includes
seven seniors, four sophomores and four freshmen. The four
freshmen all appear on the Wayman Tisdale Award Preseason Watch
List.
Following is the complete watch list:
|
2013-14 OSCAR ROBERTSON TROPHY PRESEASON WATCH LIST |
| Pos. |
Player, School |
Ht. |
Wt. |
Yr. |
Hometown |
| G |
Jahii Carson,
Arizona State |
5-10 |
180 |
So. |
Mesa, Ariz. |
| G |
Aaron Craft,
Ohio State |
6-2 |
195 |
Sr. |
Findlay, Ohio |
| F |
C.J. Fair,
Syracuse |
6-8 |
215 |
Sr. |
Baltimore, Md. |
| F |
Aaron Gordon,
Arizona |
6-9 |
225 |
Fr. |
San Jose, Calif. |
| G |
Gary Harris,
Michigan State |
6-4 |
210 |
So. |
Fishers, Ind. |
| G |
Joe Harris,
Virginia |
6-6 |
225 |
Sr. |
Chelan, Wash. |
| F |
Doug
McDermott, Creighton |
6-8 |
225 |
Sr. |
Ames, Iowa |
| F |
Mitch McGary,
Michigan |
6-10 |
255 |
So. |
Chesterton, Ind. |
| G |
Shabazz
Napier, Connecticut |
6-1 |
180 |
Sr. |
Roxbury, Mass. |
| F |
Jabari Parker,
Duke |
6-8 |
235 |
Fr. |
Chicago, Ill. |
| C |
Adreian Payne,
Michigan State |
6-10 |
245 |
Sr. |
Dayton, Ohio |
| F |
Julius Randle,
Kentucky |
6-9 |
250 |
Fr. |
Dallas, Texas |
| G |
Marcus Smart,
Oklahoma State |
6-4 |
220 |
So. |
Flower Mound, Texas |
| G |
Russ Smith,
Louisville |
6-0 |
165 |
Sr. |
Brooklyn, N.Y. |
| G |
Andrew
Wiggins, Kansas |
6-8 |
200 |
Fr. |
Vaughan, Ont. |
| By conference:
Big Ten (4), ACC (3), American Athletic (2), Big 12 (2),
Pac-12 (2), Big East (1), SEC (1). |
| By class:
Seniors (7), Juniors (0), Sophomores (4), Freshmen (4). |
While these standout players are the initial contenders for the
Oscar Robertson Trophy, all NCAA Division I players are eligible for
postseason honors from the USBWA. For the fifth straight
season, the USBWA will present an Oscar Robertson National
Player of the Week each Tuesday beginning Dec. 10.
In mid-March, the USBWA will announce
its 2013-14 All-America Team and, 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.
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 April 14 banquet will also honor the recipient of the Wayman Tisdale Humanitarian Award.
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 player of the
year award and the only
one named after a former player.
The U.S. Basketball Writers Association was formed in
1956 at the urging of then-NCAA Executive Director Walter Byers.
With more than 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 314-795-6821.
Related links:
•
Oscar Robertson Trophy
•
USBWA logos
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