Tre Jones, Vernon Carey Make Cut for Player of Year Awards
Tre Jones and Vernon Carey Jr. both made the cut for the midseason watch list for the Naismith College Basketball Player of the Year Award.
The Atlanta Tip-off Club released its 30-player midseason list. Duke is one of two schools to have multiple players on the list. Kansas, with Devon Dotson and Udoka Azubike, is the other.
Jones and Carey represent half of the ACC players on the list. Louisville's Jordan Nwora and Notre Dame's John Mooney were also named.
Eight Blue Devils have won the Naismith Award, most recently Zion Williamson last year.
UCLA, with five and UNC with three are the only other schools with more than two winners
Duke's Naismith Award winners are:
Johnny Dawkins, 1983
Danny Ferry, 1989
Christian Laettner, 1992
Elton Brand, 1999
Shane Battier, 2001
Jason Williams, 2002
JJ Redick, 2006
Zion Williamson, 2019
The Tipoff Club will cut the list to 10 semifinalists on March 5, and the finalists will be revealed on March 17. The winner will be announced on April 5.
Vernon Carey was also named to the 12-player watch list for the Oscar Robertson Player of the Year Award. He's the only freshman to make the cut and joins Louisville's Nwora as the only players from the ACC.
The finalists will be announced in March and the winner crowned at the Final Four.
Duke has had eight Robertson Trophy winners: Art Heyman, Danny Ferry, Christian Laettner, Elton Brand, Shane Battier, Jason Williams, JJ Redick and Zion Williamson. Only UCLA (nine winners) has had more.
