Garrison Brooks, Caleb Love Named to Naismith Watch List
The Atlanta Tipoff Club announced the 2021 Naismith Trophy Watch List. The Naismith Trophy is given to the top player in college basketball.
North Carolina is one of nine teams with multiple players on the watch list.
Senior forward Garrison Brooks was named to the watch list. Brooks averaged 16.8 points and a team-high 8.5 rebounds last year. He was named the ACC preseason Player of the Year for this season.
Freshman guard Caleb Love was also named to the list. The McDonald’s All-American is expected to take over as point guard for the Tar Heels this season.
UNC has had three players win the Naismith Award—Michael Jordan in 1984, Antawn Jamison in 1998 and Tyler Hansbrough in 2008. The Tar Heels are one of four teams—along with Duke, Virginia and UCLA—to have three winners.
Gonzaga leads the 50-player watch list with four players included on the list, followed by Duke, which has won more Naismith Trophies (8) than any other school. Seven schools have two players represented include Baylor, Illinois, Kentucky, LSU, North Carolina, Stanford and Villanova. Overall, the ACC and Big Ten top the list, each with eight players represented, while the Big 12, Pac-12 and SEC are close runners-up with six candidates on the watch list.
“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 Jersey Mike’s Naismith Trophy wide open. While these 50 candidates are those to keep an eye on, there will be plenty of others who will enter the competition throughout the season,” said Eric Oberman, executive director of the Atlanta Tipoff Club. “This year will be especially exciting as players who were unable to finish their seasons last year have even more to prove.”
A list of the midseason 30 team will be released in early February, followed by the 10 national semifinalists and four finalists on March 4, 2021, and March 16, 2021, respectively. Players who do not make the watch list are still eligible to be selected for the midseason 30 team. The 2021 Jersey Mike’s Naismith Trophy will be awarded during the Final Four at the Naismith Awards Brunch on April 4, 2021.
“As we sponsor the collegiate honor for the first year, Jersey Mike’s is excited to partner with the Naismith Trophy,” said Rich Hope, chief marketing officer, Jersey Mike’s Franchise Systems, Inc. “We look forward to following these stellar athletes throughout the season and honoring one of these talented players as the winner of the 2021 Jersey Mike’s Naismith Trophy.”
2021 Jersey Mike’s Naismith Trophy Men’s Preseason Watch List
NAME CLASS POSITION SCHOOL CONFERENCE
Joel Ayayi Jr. G Gonzaga WCC
Scottie Barnes Fr. G Florida State ACC
Charles Bassey Jr. C Western Kentucky C-USA
B.J. Boston Fr. F Kentucky SEC
James Bouknight So. G UConn BIG EAST
Garrison Brooks Sr. F North Carolina ACC
Greg Brown Fr. F Texas Big 12
Jared Butler Jr. G Baylor Big 12
Marcus Carr Jr. G Minnesota Big Ten
Terrence Clarke Fr. G Kentucky SEC
Kofi Cockburn So. C Illinois Big Ten
Jalen Crutcher Sr. G Dayton A-10
Cade Cunningham Fr. G Oklahoma State Big 12
Oscar da Silva Sr. F Stanford Pac-12
Ayo Dosunmu Jr. G Illinois Big Ten
Marcus Garrett Sr. G Kansas Big 12
Luka Garza Sr. C Iowa Big Ten
Collin Gillespie Sr. G Villanova BIG EAST
Kellan Grady Sr. G Davidson A-10
A.J. Green Jr. G Northern Iowa MVC
Sam Hauser Sr. F Virginia ACC
Aaron Henry Jr. F Michigan State Big Ten
Matthew Hurt So. F Duke ACC
Trayce Jackson-Davis So. F Indiana Big Ten
Jalen Johnson Fr. F Duke ACC
Keyontae Johnson Jr. F Florida SEC
David Johnson So. G Louisville ACC
Corey Kispert Sr. F Gonzaga WCC
Isaiah Livers Sr. F Michigan Big Ten
Caleb Love Fr. G North Carolina ACC
Sandro Mamukelashvili Sr. F Seton Hall BIG EAST
Remy Martin Sr. G Arizona State Pac-12
Caleb Mills So. G Houston AAC
Evan Mobley Fr. F USC Pac-12
Wendell Moore Jr. So. F Duke ACC
Yves Pons Sr. G Tennessee SEC
Jeremiah Robinson-Earl So. F Villanova BIG EAST
Colbey Ross Sr. G Pepperdine WCC
Fatts Russell Sr. G Rhode Island A-10
Javonte Smart Jr. G LSU SEC
Chris Smith Sr. G UCLA Pac-12
Jalen Suggs Fr. G Gonzaga WCC
MaCio Teague Sr. G Baylor Big 12
Drew Timme So. F Gonzaga WCC
Oscar Tshiebwe So. F West Virginia Big 12
Trendon Watford So. F LSU SEC
Trevion Williams Jr. F Purdue Big Ten
Ziaire Williams Fr. F Stanford Pac-12
McKinley Wright IV Sr. G Colorado Pac-12
Marcus Zegarowski Jr. G Creighton BIG EAST
