Fiftieth Celebration of the Citizen Naismith Trophy Season Kicks Off with 50 Candidates Vying for 2018 Top Player of the Year Honor
ATLANTA (November 9, 2017) – The Citizen Naismith Trophy kicks off a special season, which will culminate with the 50th presentation of the award April 1, 2018, and today the Atlanta Tipoff Club announced 50 players to watch for the coveted honor. A list of the midseason 30 team will be released on Feb. 14, 2018.
“We are proud to recognize our former winners during this special season, and reflect on the heritage and tradition of the past 50 years,” said Eric Oberman, executive director of the Atlanta Tipoff Club. “There are tremendously talented candidates vying to win the 50th Citizen Naismith Trophy and that process starts today.”
| NAME | CLASS | POSITION | SCHOOL | CONFERENCE |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jaylen Adams | Sr. | G | St. Bonaventure | Atlantic 10 |
| Deng Adel | Jr. | F | Louisville | ACC |
| Rawle Alkins | So. | G | Arizona | Pac-12 |
| Grayson Allen | Sr. | G | Duke | ACC |
| KeVaughn Allen | Jr. | G | Florida | SEC |
| Deandre Ayton | Fr. | F | Arizona | Pac-12 |
| Marvin Bagley III | Fr. | F | Duke | ACC |
| Mohamed Bamba | Fr. | F | Texas | Big 12 |
| Joel Berry II | Sr. | G | North Carolina | ACC |
| Trevon Bluiett | Sr. | G | Xavier | BIG East |
| Bennie Boatwright | Jr. | F | USC | Pac-12 |
| Miles Bridges | So. | G/F | Michigan State | Big Ten |
| Bruce Brown | So. | G | Miami | ACC |
| Jalen Brunson | Jr. | G | Villanova | BIG EAST |
| Jeffrey Carroll | Sr. | G | Oklahoma State | Big 12 |
| Jevon Carter | Sr. | G | West Virginia | Big 12 |
| Wendell Carter Jr. | Fr. | F | Duke | ACC |
| Bonzie Colson | Sr. | F | Notre Dame | ACC |
| Mike Daum | Jr. | F | South Dakota State | Summit League |
| Tyler Davis | Jr. | C | Texas A&M | SEC |
| Angel Delgado | Sr. | C | Seton Hall | BIG EAST |
| Hamidou Diallo | Fr. | G | Kentucky | SEC |
| Trevon Duval | Fr. | G | Duke | ACC |
| Vince Edwards | Sr. | F | Purdue | Big Ten |
| Matt Farrell | Sr. | G | Notre Dame | ACC |
| Marcus Foster | Sr. | G | Creighton | BIG EAST |
| Devonte' Graham | Sr. | G | Kansas | Big 12 |
| Ethan Happ | Jr. | F | Wisconsin | Big Ten |
| Aaron Holiday | Jr. | G | UCLA | Pac-12 |
| Chandler Hutchison | Sr. | G | Boise State | Mountain West |
| Justin Jackson | So. | F | Maryland | Big Ten |
| Kevin Knox | Fr. | F | Kentucky | SEC |
| Jock Landale | Sr. | C | St. Mary's | WCC |
| Kelan Martin | Sr. | F | Butler | BIG EAST |
| Nate Mason | Sr. | G | Minnesota | Big Ten |
| Yante Maten | Sr. | F | Georgia | SEC |
| Bryant McIntosh | Sr. | G | Northwestern | Big Ten |
| Jordan McLaughlin | Sr. | G | USC | Pac-12 |
| Chimezie Metu | Jr. | F | USC | Pac-12 |
| Shake Milton | Jr. | G | SMU | American Athletic |
| Malik Newman | So. | G | Kansas | Big 12 |
| Michael Porter Jr. | Fr. | F | Missouri | SEC |
| Collin Sexton | Fr. | G | Alabama | SEC |
| Landry Shamet | So. | G | Wichita State | American Athletic |
| Reid Travis | Sr. | F | Stanford | Pac-12 |
| Allonzo Trier | Jr. | G | Arizona | Pac-12 |
| Moritz Wagner | Jr. | F | Michigan | Big Ten |
| Nick Ward | So. | F | Michigan State | Big Ten |
| Jonathan Williams | Sr. | F | Gonzaga | WCC |
| Robert Williams | So. | F | Texas A&M | SEC |
Overall, nine players on the Watch List represent the ACC, while the Big Ten, Pac-12 and SEC each placed eight candidates. Duke, which has won more Citizen Naismith Trophies (7) than any other school, leads the Watch List with four players, followed by Arizona and USC with three players apiece. Players who do not make the watch list are still eligible to be selected for the midseason 30 team.
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.
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Media Contact:
Traci Messier
Jackson Spalding for the Atlanta Tipoff Club
tmessier@jacksonspalding.com
404-214-3596