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ST. LOUIS (USBWA) – The U.S. Basketball Writers Association
has selected 17 outstanding players for its 2015 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.
 The
award is to be presented to the national player of the year at the Devon Energy College Basketball Awards
on April 14 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.
Six players from the Atlantic Coast Conference – including
Justin Anderson and Anthony Gill
of unbeaten Virginia – headline the list. Two other pairs of
teammates are also mentioned: Gonzaga's Kevin Pangos
and Kyle Wiltjer and Wisconsin's Sam
Dekker and Frank Kaminsky. Top-ranked
and unbeaten Kentucky is represented by Willie
Cauley-Stein.
Anderson and Wiltjer have earned Oscar Robertson National Player of the Week
honors this season.
The watch list includes nine juniors to go with four seniors,
three freshmen and one sophomore.
Following is the complete watch list:
|
2015 OSCAR ROBERTSON TROPHY MIDSEASON WATCH LIST |
| Pos. |
No. |
Player, School |
Ht. |
Wt. |
Yr. |
Hometown |
| G |
1 |
Justin
Anderson, Virginia |
6-6 |
228 |
Jr. |
Montross, Va. |
| G |
31 |
Ron Baker,
Wichita State |
6-4 |
220 |
Jr. |
Scott City, Kan. |
| F |
15 |
Willie
Cauley-Stein, Kentucky |
7-0 |
240 |
Jr. |
Olathe, Kan. |
| F |
15 |
Sam Dekker,
Wisconsin |
6-9 |
230 |
Jr. |
Sheboygan, Wis. |
| F |
13 |
Anthony Gill,
Virginia |
6-8 |
230 |
Jr. |
High Point, N.C. |
| G |
22 |
Jerian Grant,
Notre Dame |
6-5 |
204 |
Sr. |
Bowie, Md. |
| F |
24 |
Montrezl
Harrell, Louisville |
6-8 |
240 |
Jr. |
Tarboro, N.C. |
| F |
5 |
Stanley
Johnson, Arizona |
6-7 |
245 |
Fr. |
Fullerton, Calif. |
| F |
44 |
Frank
Kaminsky, Wisconsin |
7-0 |
242 |
Sr. |
Lisle, Ill. |
| F |
31 |
Georges Niang,
Iowa State |
6-8 |
230 |
Jr. |
Methuen, Mass. |
|
C |
15 |
Jahlil Okafor, Duke |
6-11 |
270 |
Fr. |
Chicago, Ill. |
| G |
5 |
Marcus Paige,
North Carolina |
6-1 |
175 |
Jr. |
Marion, Iowa |
| G |
4 |
Kevin Pangos,
Gonzaga |
6-2 |
182 |
Sr. |
Holland Landing, Ont. |
| F |
10 |
Bobby Portis,
Arkansas |
6-11 |
242 |
So. |
Little Rock, Ark. |
| G |
2 |
Melo Trimble,
Maryland |
6-3 |
190 |
Fr. |
Upper Marlboro, Md. |
| F |
33 |
Kyle Wiltjer,
Gonzaga |
6-10 |
240 |
Jr. |
Portland, Ore. |
| G |
55 |
Delon Wright,
Utah |
6-5 |
190 |
Sr. |
Los Angeles, Calif. |
| By conference:
ACC (6); Big Ten (3); Pac-12 (2); SEC (2); West Coast
(2); Big 12 (1); Missouri Valley (1). |
| By class:
Seniors (4); Juniors (9); Sophomores (1); 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 2015 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.
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 Syracuse coach Jim Boeheim as 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 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 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 314-795-6821.
Related link:
•
Oscar Robertson Trophy
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