Four standouts from the Big 12 Conference are on the midseason watch list for the Oscar Robertson Trophy, it has been announced. Iowa State’s Georges Niang and Monté Morris, Wayne Selden of Kansas and Buddy Hield of Oklahoma represent the league, tying the Big 12 for the most representatives of any conference in the nation.
The award is presented annually by the United States Basketball Writers Association (USBWA) to the top player in college basketball. The Cyclones are the only team with two players on the list. Morris is averaging 15.2 points, 6.8 assists and 4.0 rebounds in his junior season and has twice been named Big 12 Player of the Week. Niang is leading the Cyclones with 19.3 points per game to go along with averages of 6.4 rebounds and 3.2 assists. The senior has been in double figures for all 19 games this season and 28 games in a row dating back to last year.
Selden ranks third in the Big 12 and eighth nationally in 3-point field goal shooting at 48.5 percent. The junior is eighth in the Big 12 with 14.7 points per game and has four games of 20 points or more this season. Hield leads the Big 12 and ranks fourth nationally with 25.7 points per game. He has led the Sooners in scoring in 11 of the team’s last 12 contests.
OSCAR ROBERTSON TROPHY MIDSEASON WATCH LIST
Grayson Allen, Duke
Kris Dunn, Providence
Kahlil Felder, Oakland
Yogi Ferrell, Indiana
Buddy Hield, Oklahoma
Demetrius Jackson, Notre Dame
Brice Johnson, North Carolina
Jalen Jones, Texas A&M
Sheldon McClellan, Miami
Monté Morris, Iowa State
Georges Niang, Iowa State
Gary Payton II, Oregon State
Wayne Selden Jr., Kansas
Ben Simmons, LSU
Melo Trimble, Maryland
Tyler Ullis, Kentucky
Jarrod Uthoff, Iowa
Denzel Valentine, Michigan State
Fred VanVleet, Wichita State
Kyle Wiltjer, Gonzaga
The Oscar Robertson Trophy will be presented at the College Basketball Awards gala in Oklahoma City on April 11, 2016, at the National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum. Other awards being presented at the gala include the Wayman Tisdale Award (men’s national freshman of year) and the Ann Meyers Drysdale Award (women’s national player of the year). The USBWA, comprised of nearly 1,000 sports journalists covering college basketball for newspapers, magazines and websites, will select the recipients of the awards. This will be the first time the women’s college player of the year will be featured at the gala.