Tshiebwe Named to the 2021 Jersey Mike's Naismith Trophy Watch List
Today, the Atlanta Tipoff Club announced the 2021 Jersey Mike’s Naismith Trophy Watch List that included West Virginia sophomore forward Oscar Tshiebwe.
Tshiebwe averaged 11.2 points and 9.3 rebounds per game last season.
“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.”
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 Jersey Mike’s 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 Jersey Mike’s and Werner Ladder.
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.
2021 Jersey Mike’s Naismith Trophy Men’s Preseason Watch List
Joel Ayayi - Gonzaga
Scottie Barnes - Florida State
Charles Bassey - Western Kentucky
B.J. Boston - Kentucky
James Bouknight - UConn
Garrison Brooks - North Carolina
Greg Brown - Texas
Jared Butler - Baylor
Marcus Carr - Minnesota
Terrence Clarke - Kentucky
Kofi Cockburn - Illinois
Jalen Crutcher - Dayton
Cade Cunningham - Oklahoma State
Oscar da Silva - Stanford
Ayo Dosunmu - Illinois
Marcus Garrett - Kansas
Luka Garza - Iowa
Collin Gillespie - Villanova
Kellan Grady - Davidson
A.J. Green - Northern Iowa
Sam Hauser - Virginia
Aaron Henry - Michigan State
Matthew Hurt - Duke
Trayce Jackson-Davis - Indiana
Jalen Johnson - Duke
Keyontae Johnson - Florida
David Johnson - Louisville
Corey Kispert - Gonzaga
Isaiah Livers - Michigan
Caleb Love - North Carolina
Sandro Mamukelashvili - Seton Hall
Remy Martin - Arizona State
Caleb Mills - Houston
Evan Mobley - USC
Wendell Moore Jr. - Duke
Yves Pons - Tennessee
Jeremiah Robinson-Earl - Villanova
Colbey Ross - Pepperdine
Fatts Russell - Rhode Island
Javonte Smart - LSU
Chris Smith - UCLA
Jalen Suggs - Gonzaga
MaCio Teague - Baylor
Drew Timme - Gonzaga
Oscar Tshiebwe - West Virginia
Trendon Watford - LSU
Trevion Williams - Purdue
Ziaire Williams - Stanford
McKinley Wright IV - Colorado
Marcus Zegarowski - Creighton
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