Five Big 12 men’s basketball standouts have been named to the midseason list for the Naismith Award, presented annually by the Atlanta Tipoff Club. Rico Gathers (Baylor), Georges Niang (Iowa State), Buddy Hield (Oklahoma), Le’Bryan Nash (Oklahoma State) and Juwan Staten (West Virginia) were all recognized. The five players from the Big 12 is the second-best total of any conference in the nation.
All five rank in the top 20 in the Big 12 Conference in scoring, led by Hield – who is first in the league with 17.6 points per game. Gathers tops the conference in rebounds with 12.6 per contest, a total that is second in the nation.
The Naismith Awards were founded by the Atlanta Tipoff Club to recognize accomplished athletes, coaches, officials and contributors to high school and college basketball. Named in honor of Dr. James Naismith, the creator of the game of basketball, the first Naismith trophy was awarded in 1969. The trophy was sculpted by Marty C. Dawe of Atlanta and has become among the most prestigious national honors awarded each season to top basketball players in the nation.
Each year the club’s board publishes the “Naismith Watch” list that is made up of the top 50 players to watch in men’s and women’s college basketball. The organization also releases a list of 30 midseason Naismith candidates. At the end of the season the Naismith Trophy is awarded to the player of the year in men’s and women’s college basketball. A national voting academy of leading basketball coaches, administrators and journalists narrows the group down to four finalists based on player performance throughout the season. The final four Naismith finalists will make up the ballot and the player of the year is voted on by the group.
NAISMITH TROPHY MIDSEASON 30
Stanley Johnson, Arizona
Bobby Portis, Arkansas
Rico Gathers, Baylor
Tyler Haws, BYU
Ryan Boatright, Connecticut
Tyus Jones, Duke
Jahlil Okafor, Duke
Kevin Pangos, Gonzaga
Kyle Wiltjer, Gonzaga
Georges Niang, Iowa State
Willie Cauley-Stein, Kentucky
Karl-Anthony Towns, Kentucky
Montrezl Harrell, Louisville
Terry Rozier, Louisville
Jordan Mickey, LSU
Marcus Paige, North Carolina
Seth Tuttle, Northern Iowa
Jerian Grant, Notre Dame
D'Angelo Russell, Ohio State
Buddy Hield, Oklahoma
Le'Bryan Nash, Oklahoma State
Chasson Randle, Stanford
Rakeem Christmas, Syracuse
Delon Wright, Utah
Treveon Graham, VCU
Justin Anderson, Virginia
Malcolm Brogdon, Virginia
Juwan Staten, West Virginia
Ron Baker, Wichita State
Frank Kaminsky, Wisconsin