The Midseason Watch Lists for the Oscar Robertson Trophy and Wayman Tisdale Awards have been announced and four Big 12 standouts were recognized.
Iowa State junior Georges Niang was named to the 17-player Robertson Trophy list, which includes four seniors, nine juniors, one sophomore and three freshmen. The honor at the end of the season is given to the national player of the year
Niang has helped the Cyclones to a No. 9 national ranking and is averaging 14.8 points, 5.5 rebounds and 3.5 assists.
Cliff Alexander and Kelly Oubre Jr. of Kansas along with Myles Turner of Texas were chosen for the Wayman Tisdale Award Midseason Watch List. The award is given annually to the national freshman of the year.
Oubre has started 10 games for the No. 11 Jayhawks and is averaging 13.8 points and 7.2 rebounds in his last nine starts. Alexander tops KU with 25 blocked shots in 2014-15. He has posted 8.3 points and 5.8 rebounds per game.
Turner leads the Longhorns in scoring with 11.8 points per game despite coming off the bench in all but three contests. He is ranked first in the conference with 48 blocked shots and is the league’s top freshman in rebounding with 6.8 per game.
While these standout players are the leading contenders to be named to the USBWA's All-America Team and as finalists for the Oscar Robertson Trophy, all Division I players remain eligible for postseason honors from the USBWA. The association will announce its 2015 All-America Team in mid-March. At that time, finalists will also be chosen for the player and freshman of the year. Once finalists are announced, the entire USBWA membership will vote for the winner of the Oscar Robertson Trophy and Wayman Tisdale Trophy.
The awards are presented at the Devon Energy College Basketball Awards on April 14 at the National Cowboy and Western Heritage Museum in Oklahoma City.
Since the 1958-59 season, the USBWA has named a National Player of the Year. In 1998, the award was named in honor of the University of Cincinnati Hall of Famer and two-time USBWA Player of the Year Oscar Robertson. It is the nation's oldest award and the only one named after a former player. The USBWA has chosen a national freshman of the year since the 1988-89 campaign.
The U.S. Basketball Writers Association was formed in 1956 at the urging of then-NCAA Executive Director Walter Byers. With some 900 members worldwide, it is one of the most influential organizations in college basketball. It has selected an All-America team since the 1956-57 season.