The Citizen Naismith Trophy Heats Up with 30 Candidates Remaining in the Competition for 2018 Men’s Player of the Year
ATLANTA (February 14, 2018) – The Atlanta Tipoff Club announced today the late season team of 30 men’s players competing to receive the 50th Citizen Naismith Trophy. From this list, 10 semifinalists will be revealed on Feb. 28, and only those 10 players are eligible for the group of four finalists, which will be released in mid-March. Fans, once again, will be able to vote for their favorite player by visiting naismithtrophy.com/vote between March 19-30 to cast their ballot, and the fan component counts for five percent of the overall final vote. The 50th Citizen Naismith Trophy will be awarded on April 1 in San Antonio, during the NCAA Men’s Final Four.
“The players on the midseason team have displayed the attributes of what it’ll take to advance into the next round. However, there are still tremendous candidates remaining, and the next two weeks will be intensely competitive,” said Eric Oberman, executive director of the Atlanta Tipoff Club. “We look forward to watching them compete for the 50th Citizen Naismith Trophy, and we are excited to continue our legacy of honoring college basketball’s top players during this celebratory season.”
“The Citizen Naismith Trophy celebrates the accomplishments of student-athletes who demonstrate through their play the inner drive and passion that mirrors that of our company’s founding members – Better Starts Now,” said Eric Horowitz, managing director U.S. and travel retail, Citizen Watch Company of America, Inc. “These 30 exceptional men have accomplished so much this season and are surely deserving of their spot on this list.”
| NAME | CLASS | POSITION | SCHOOL | CONFERENCE |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Deandre Ayton | Fr. | F | Arizona | Pac-12 |
| Marvin Bagley III | Fr. | F | Duke | ACC |
| Mohamed Bamba | Fr. | F | Texas | Big 12 |
| Keita Bates-Diop | Jr. | F | Ohio State | Big Ten |
| Joel Berry II | Sr. | G | North Carolina | ACC |
| Trevon Bluiett | Sr. | G | Xavier | BIG EAST |
| Mikal Bridges | Jr. | G/F | Villanova | BIG EAST |
| Miles Bridges | So. | G/F | Michigan State | Big Ten |
| Bryce Brown | Jr. | G | Auburn | SEC |
| Jalen Brunson | Jr. | G | Villanova | BIG EAST |
| Jevon Carter | Sr. | G | West Virginia | Big 12 |
| Gary Clark | Sr. | F | Cincinnati | American Athletic |
| Mike Daum | Jr. | F | South Dakota State | Summit League |
| Angel Delgado | Sr. | C | Seton Hall | BIG EAST |
| Carsen Edwards | So. | G | Purdue | Big Ten |
| Vince Edwards | Sr. | F | Purdue | Big Ten |
| Keenan Evans | Sr. | G | Texas Tech | Big 12 |
| Marcus Foster | Sr. | G | Creighton | BIG EAST |
| Devonte' Graham | Sr. | G | Kansas | Big 12 |
| Kyle Guy | So. | G | Virginia | ACC |
| Tra Holder | Sr. | G | Arizona State | Pac-12 |
| Chandler Hutchison | Sr. | G | Boise State | Mountain West |
| Kevin Knox | Fr. | F | Kentucky | SEC |
| Jock Landale | Sr. | C | St. Mary's | WCC |
| Caleb Martin | Jr. | F | Nevada | Mountain West |
| Luke Maye | Jr. | F | North Carolina | ACC |
| Collin Sexton | Fr. | G | Alabama | SEC |
| Landry Shamet | So. | G | Wichita State | American Athletic |
| Allonzo Trier | Jr. | G | Arizona | Pac-12 |
| Trae Young | Fr. | G | Oklahoma | Big 12 |
Players come from 10 conferences with the Big 12 and BIG EAST leading the way with five players apiece. Arizona, North Carolina, Purdue and Villanova each have two players on the late season team with all other schools only represented by one.
ABOUT THE ATLANTA TIPOFF CLUB
Celebrating 50 Years of the Citizen Naismith Trophy
Founded during the 1956-57 season, the Atlanta Tipoff Club is committed to promoting the game of basketball and recognizing the outstanding accomplishments of those who make the game so exciting. The Atlanta Tipoff Club administers the Naismith Awards, which have become the most prestigious national honors in all of college basketball. Named in honor of Dr. James Naismith, inventor of the game of basketball, the Naismith Trophy recognizes the top Men’s and Women’s College Basketball Players of the Year. Other Naismith Awards are presented to the Men’s and Women’s College Basketball Coaches of the Year, Boys’ and Girls’ High School Basketball Players and Coaches of the Year, Basketball Officials and Outstanding Contributors to the game. Celebrating its 50th year by honoring past winners, the Citizen Naismith Trophy was first presented to UCLA’s Lew Alcindor (later known as Kareem Abdul-Jabbar) in 1969. Old Dominion’s Anne Donovan won the inaugural Women’s Citizen Naismith Trophy in 1983.
ABOUT CITIZEN
Citizen, a pioneer in watchmaking and innovative technology since 1918, promotes excellence and creativity with a deep-rooted respect for craftsmanship. Citizen advocates “Better Starts Now,” searching for and accomplishing goals that are cause driven. In this respect, Citizen aligns with organizations and personalities that reflect the values of the brand including the Billie Jean King Leadership Initiative, Naismith Awards, National Merit Scholarship, and Good360.
For over 40 years, Citizen’s Eco-Drive technology has served as the prime example of how the brand is dedicated to making the world and its environment a better place. A simple yet revolutionary concept, Eco-Drive harnesses the power of light from any natural or artificial light source and converts it into energy, eliminating the need for any battery replacement.
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Media Contact:
Traci Messier
Jackson Spalding for the Atlanta Tipoff Club
tmessier@jacksonspalding.com
404-214-3596