Citizen Naismith Trophy Men’s Watch List Released

Fifty Players Vying for 2019 Top Player of the Year Honor as Season Tips Off

ATLANTA (November 5, 2018) – Today, the Atlanta Tipoff Club announced 50 men’s players to watch for the 2019 Citizen Naismith Trophy Men’s Player of the Year honor. A list of the midseason 30 team will be released on Feb. 13, 2019, followed by the 10 national semifinalists and four finalists on March 4, 2019 and March 19, 2019 respectively. The 2019 Citizen Naismith Trophy will be awarded on at the Naismith Awards Brunch on April 7, 2019, during the Final Four in Minneapolis.

“This time of year is filled with excitement, optimism and anticipation as each team is undefeated and the race for the Citizen Naismith Trophy is wide open. These 50 candidates are ones to keep an eye on, but there will be plenty of others who will enter the competition throughout the season,” said Eric Oberman, executive director of the Atlanta Tipoff Club. “It’s great to have the season tipping off tomorrow.”

2019 Citizen Naismith Trophy Men’s Preseason Watch List

FIRST LAST CLASS POSITION SCHOOL CONFERENCE Kamar Baldwin Jr. G Butler BIG EAST R.J. Barrett Fr. F Duke ACC Tyus Battle Jr. G Syracuse ACC Bennie Boatwright Sr. F USC Pac-12 Bol Bol Fr. C Oregon Pac-12 Phil Booth Sr. G Villanova BIG EAST Ky Bowman Jr. G Boston College ACC Barry Brown Sr. G Kansas State Big 12 Jordan Caroline Sr. G/F Nevada Mountain West Clayton Custer Sr. G Loyola of Chicago Missouri Valley Mike Daum Sr. F South Dakota State Summit League Carsen Edwards Jr. G Purdue Big Ten Jon Elmore Sr. G Marshall Conference USA Daniel Gafford So. F Arkansas SEC Darius Garland Fr. G Vanderbilt SEC Jessie Govan Sr. C Georgetown BIG EAST Kellan Grady So. G Davidson Atlantic 10 Quentin Grimes Fr. G Kansas Big 12 Kyle Guy Jr. G Virginia ACC Rui Hachimura Jr. F Gonzaga WCC Ethan Happ Sr. F Wisconsin Big Ten Markus Howard Jr. G Marquette BIG EAST De'Andre Hunter So. G Virginia ACC Keldon Johnson Fr. G Kentucky SEC Sagaba Konate Jr. F West Virginia Big 12 Romeo Langford Fr. G Indiana Big Ten Dedric Lawson Jr. F Kansas Big 12 Nassir Little Fr. F North Carolina ACC Caleb Martin Sr. F Nevada Mountain West Charles Matthews Sr. G Michigan Big Ten Luke Maye Sr. F North Carolina ACC Juwan Morgan Sr. F Indiana Big Ten Jordan Murphy Sr. F Minnesota Big Ten James Palmer Jr. Sr. G Nebraska Big Ten Eric Paschall Sr. F Villanova BIG EAST Shamorie Ponds Jr. G St. John's BIG EAST Cam Reddish Fr. F Duke ACC Justin Robinson Sr. G Virginia Tech ACC Admiral Schofield Sr. G Tennessee SEC Chris Silva Sr. F South Carolina SEC Killian Tillie Jr. F Gonzaga WCC Reid Travis Sr. F Kentucky SEC Dean Wade Sr. F Kansas State Big 12 P.J. Washington So. F Kentucky SEC Tremont Waters So. G LSU SEC Lindell Wigginton So. G Iowa State Big 12 Kris Wilkes So. G UCLA Pac-12 Grant Williams Jr. F Tennessee SEC Zion Williamson Fr. F Duke ACC Cassius Winston Jr. G Michigan State Big Ten

Overall, the ACC tops the list with 10 players represented, while the SEC is a close runner-up with nine candidates on the Watch List. Duke, which has won more Citizen Naismith Trophies (7) than any other school, and Kentucky lead the Watch List with three players apiece. The 2018 Naismith High School Player of the Year award winner, R.J. Barrett, also made this year’s college Watch List. Players who do not make the Watch List are still eligible to be selected for the Midseason 30 Team.

ABOUT THE ATLANTA TIPOFF CLUB

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 top 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 Citizen 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 the Citizen Watch Company, Werner Ladder and Bona.

ABOUT CITIZEN

Citizen, a pioneer in watchmaking and innovative technology since 1918, promotes excellence and creativity with a deep-rooted respect for craftsmanship. Citizen advocates “Better Starts Now,” searching for and accomplishing goals that are cause driven. In this respect, Citizen aligns with organizations and personalities that reflect the values of the brand including the Billie Jean King Leadership Initiative, Naismith Awards, National Merit Scholarship, and Good360.

For over 40 years, Citizen’s Eco-Drive technology has served as the prime example of how the brand is dedicated to making the world and its environment a better place. A simple yet revolutionary concept, Eco-Drive harnesses the power of light from any natural or artificial light source and converts it into energy, eliminating the need for any battery replacement.

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Media Contact:

Traci Messier

Jackson Spalding for the Atlanta Tipoff Club

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