2020 Season Tips Off with 50 Players to Watch Competing for the Top Men’s Honor in College Basketball
ATLANTA (November 4, 2019) – The Atlanta Tipoff Club announced today the 50 men’s players to watch during the season-long competition for the 2020 Citizen Naismith Trophy Men’s Player of the Year honor. A list of the midseason 30 team will be released in early February, followed by the 10 national semifinalists and four finalists on March 5, 2020, and March 17, 2020, respectively. The 2020 Citizen Naismith Trophy will be awarded in the hometown of the Atlanta Tipoff Club during the Final Four at the Naismith Awards Brunch on April 5, 2020.
“The beginning of the season is filled with excitement, optimism and anticipation as each team and every player is undefeated, making the race for the Citizen Naismith Trophy wide open. While these 50 candidates are ones to keep an eye on, there will be plenty of others who will enter the competition as the season heats up,” said Eric Oberman, executive director of the Atlanta Tipoff Club. “This year will be especially exciting for this award as we will honor the nation’s top player in our home city when Atlanta hosts the 2020 Final Four.”
Overall, the SEC tops the list with nine players represented, while the Big Ten and ACC are close runners-up with eight and seven candidates on the watch list, respectively. Seven schools lead the watch list with two players apiece, including Duke, which has won more Citizen Naismith Trophies (8) than any other school with the addition of last year’s winner, Zion Williamson. Additional schools with two players represented include Davidson, Florida, Kansas, Kentucky, Maryland and Michigan State. The 2019 Jersey Mike’s Naismith High School Player of the Year award winner, Isaiah Stewart, now a freshman at the University of Washington, also made this year’s college watch list. Players who do not make the watch list are still eligible to be selected for the midseason 30 team.
“The Citizen Naismith Trophy rewards the impressive efforts of the players on the watch list,” said Eric Horowitz, managing director U.S. and travel retail, Citizen Watch Company of America, Inc. “We look forward to watching them compete for the Men’s Player of the Year honor.”
2020 Citizen Naismith Trophy Men’s Preseason Watch List
| FIRST NAME | LAST NAME | CLASS | POS | SCHOOL | CONFERENCE |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bryce | Aiken | Sr. | G | Harvard | IVY |
| Cole | Anthony | Fr. | G | North Carolina | ACC |
| Udoka | Azubuike | Sr. | C | Kansas | Big 12 |
| Kamar | Baldwin | Sr. | G | Butler | BIG EAST |
| Charles | Bassey | So. | C | Western Kentucky | C-USA |
| Kerry | Blackshear Jr. | Sr. | F | Florida | SEC |
| Vernon | Carey Jr. | Fr. | C | Duke | ACC |
| Yoeli | Childs | Sr. | F | BYU | WCC |
| Tristan | Clark | Jr. | F | Baylor | Big 12 |
| Anthony | Cowan Jr. | Sr. | G | Maryland | Big Ten |
| Jarron | Cumberland | Sr. | G | Cincinnati | AAC |
| Mamadi | Diakite | Sr. | F | Virginia | ACC |
| Alpha | Diallo | Sr. | G | Providence | BIG EAST |
| Ayo | Dosunmu | So. | G | Illinois | Big Ten |
| Devon | Dotson | So. | G | Kansas | Big 12 |
| Anthony | Edwards | Fr. | G | Georgia | SEC |
| Jordan | Ford | Sr. | G | St. Mary’s | WCC |
| Kellan | Grady | Jr. | G | Davidson | A-10 |
| Jon Axel | Gudmundsson | Sr. | G | Davidson | A-10 |
| Ashton | Hagans | So. | G | Kentucky | SEC |
| Tyrese | Haliburton | So. | G | Iowa State | Big 12 |
| Markus | Howard | Sr. | G | Marquette | BIG EAST |
| Markell | Johnson | Sr. | G | NC State | ACC |
| Tre | Jones | So. | G | Duke | ACC |
| Anthony | Lamb | Sr. | F | Vermont | America East |
| Kira | Lewis Jr. | So. | G | Alabama | SEC |
| Nico | Mannion | Fr. | G | Arizona | Pac-12 |
| Naji | Marshall | Jr. | F | Xavier | BIG EAST |
| Tyrese | Maxey | Fr. | G | Kentucky | SEC |
| Skylar | Mays | Sr. | G | LSU | SEC |
| Sam | Merrill | Sr. | G | Utah State | Mountain West |
| John | Mooney | Sr. | F | Notre Dame | ACC |
| Andrew | Nembhard | So. | G | Florida | SEC |
| Jordan | Nwora | Jr. | F | Louisville | ACC |
| Reggie | Perry | So. | F | Mississippi State | SEC |
| Myles | Powell | Sr. | G | Seton Hall | BIG EAST |
| Payton | Pritchard | Sr. | G | Oregon | Pac-12 |
| Zavier | Simpson | Sr. | G | Michigan | Big Ten |
| Jalen | Smith | So. | F | Maryland | Big Ten |
| Lamar | Stevens | Sr. | F | Penn State | Big Ten |
| Isaiah | Stewart | Fr. | F | Washington | Pac-12 |
| Killian | Tillie | Sr. | F | Gonzaga | WCC |
| Xavier | Tillman | Jr. | F | Michigan State | Big Ten |
| Tres | Tinkle | Sr. | F | Oregon State | Pac-12 |
| Obi | Toppin | So. | F | Dayton | A-10 |
| Breein | Tyree | Sr. | G | Ole Miss | SEC |
| Kaleb | Wesson | Jr. | F | Ohio State | Big Ten |
| Cassius | Winston | Sr. | G | Michigan State | Big Ten |
| James | Wiseman | Fr. | C | Memphis | AAC |
| McKinley | Wright IV | Jr. | G | Colorado | Pac-12 |
ABOUT THE ATLANTA TIPOFF CLUB
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, the most prestigious national honors in all of college and high school basketball. Named in honor of Dr. James Naismith, inventor of the game of basketball, the family of Naismith Awards annually recognizes the most outstanding men’s and women’s college and high school basketball players and coaches. Other Naismith Awards are presented to the men’s and women’s college basketball defensive players of the year, as well as lifetime achievement awards to basketball officials and outstanding contributors to the game. UCLA’s Lew Alcindor received the first Citizen Naismith Trophy in 1969, while the late Anne Donovan (Old Dominion) was the inaugural women’s recipient in 1983. Corporate partners of the Naismith Awards include Citizen Watch Company, Jersey Mike’s and Werner Ladder.
ABOUT CITIZEN
Citizen, a pioneer in watchmaking and innovation since 1918, promotes excellence and creativity with a deep-rooted respect for craftsmanship. Citizen advocates “Better Starts Now,” searching for and accomplishing goals that cultivate positive change. Driven to create timepieces enjoyed by citizens all over the world, Citizen formed an alliance partnership with Disney in 2018, another powerhouse brand with similar values. With a long-term partnership in place, Citizen participates in activations surrounding the Disney Parks, Marvel, Star Wars and more. Citizen is the Official Timepiece of both Walt Disney World and Disneyland with branded clocks in both theme parks.
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
404-214-3596