ATLANTA – SMU junior guard Shake Milton and Wichita State sophomore guard Landry Shamet were among the 50 players named to the Citizen Naismith Trophy watch list, the Atlanta Tipoff Club announced on Thursday.
“We are proud to recognize our former winners during this special season and reflect on the heritage and tradition of the past 50 years,” said Eric Oberman, executive director of the Atlanta Tipoff Club. “There are tremendously talented candidates vying to win the 50th Citizen Naismith Trophy and that process starts today.”
Now celebrating its 50th year, the Naismith Trophy is presented annually by the Atlanta Tipoff Club to college basketball's most outstanding player. A midseason list of 30 players will be released on Feb. 13, and the winner will be announced April 1.
In October, Milton was tabbed as the preseason player of the year in The American, a season after he helped lead SMU to a 30-win season and 17-1 overall mark in the conference. Milton was previously named to the Bob Cousy Award and Lute Olsen Award watch lists in the preseason.
Earlier this week, Shamet's name appeared on similar watch lists for the Oscar Robertson Trophy and the Lute Olson Award. He is also a candidate for the Bob Cousy Award, given to the nation's top point guard. In addition, Shamet has earned a handful of preseason All-American accolades and represented WSU on the American Athletic Conference's preseason first team.
Shamet and Wichita State – ranked No. 7 in the preseason AP Poll – open the regular season at home Friday evening against UMKC at 8 p.m. ET. SMU, which is receiving votes in both polls, tips against UMBC, also at 8 p.m. ET.
Citizen Naismith Trophy Preseason Watch List
| NAME |
CLASS |
POSITION |
SCHOOL |
CONFERENCE |
| Jaylen Adams |
Sr. |
G |
St. Bonaventure |
Atlantic 10 |
| Deng Adel |
Jr. |
F |
Louisville |
ACC |
| Rawle Alkins |
So. |
G |
Arizona |
Pac-12 |
| Grayson Allen |
Sr. |
G |
Duke |
ACC |
| KeVaughn Allen |
Jr. |
G |
Florida |
SEC |
| Deandre Ayton |
Fr. |
F |
Arizona |
Pac-12 |
| Marvin Bagley III |
Fr. |
F |
Duke |
ACC |
| Mohamed Bamba |
Fr. |
F |
Texas |
Big 12 |
| Joel Berry II |
Sr. |
G |
UNC |
ACC |
| Trevon Bluiett |
Sr. |
G |
Xavier |
BIG East |
| Bennie Boatwright |
Jr. |
F |
USC |
Pac-12 |
| Miles Bridges |
So. |
G/F |
Michigan State |
Big Ten |
| Bruce Brown |
So. |
G |
Miami |
ACC |
| Jalen Brunson |
Jr. |
G |
Villanova |
BIG EAST |
| Jeffrey Carroll |
Sr. |
G |
Oklahoma State |
Big 12 |
| Jevon Carter |
Sr. |
G |
West Virginia |
Big 12 |
| Wendell Carter Jr. |
Fr. |
F |
Duke |
ACC |
| Bonzie Colson |
Sr. |
F |
Notre Dame |
ACC |
| Mike Daum |
Jr. |
F |
South Dakota State |
Summit League |
| Tyler Davis |
Jr. |
C |
Texas A&M |
SEC |
| Angel Delgado |
Sr. |
C |
Seton Hall |
BIG EAST |
| Hamidou Diallo |
Fr. |
G |
Kentucky |
SEC |
| Trevon Duval |
Fr. |
G |
Duke |
ACC |
| Vince Edwards |
Sr. |
F |
Purdue |
Big Ten |
| Matt Farrell |
Sr. |
G |
Notre Dame |
ACC |
| Marcus Foster |
Sr. |
G |
Creighton |
BIG EAST |
| Devonte' Graham |
Sr. |
G |
Kansas |
Big 12 |
| Ethan Happ |
Jr. |
F |
Wisconsin |
Big Ten |
| Aaron Holiday |
Jr. |
G |
UCLA |
Pac-12 |
| Chandler Hutchison |
Sr. |
G |
Boise State |
Mountain West |
| Justin Jackson |
So. |
F |
Maryland |
Big Ten |
| Kevin Knox |
Fr. |
F |
Kentucky |
SEC |
| Jock Landale |
Sr. |
C |
St. Mary's |
WCC |
| Kelan Martin |
Sr. |
F |
Butler |
BIG EAST |
| Nate Mason |
Sr. |
G |
Minnesota |
Big Ten |
| Yante Maten |
Sr. |
F |
Georgia |
SEC |
| Bryant McIntosh |
Sr. |
G |
Northwestern |
Big Ten |
| Jordan McLaughlin |
Sr. |
G |
USC |
Pac-12 |
| Chimezie Metu |
Jr. |
F |
USC |
Pac-12 |
| Shake Milton |
Jr. |
G |
SMU |
American Athletic |
| Malik Newman |
So. |
G |
Kansas |
Big 12 |
| Michael Porter Jr. |
Fr. |
F |
Missouri |
SEC |
| Collin Sexton |
Fr. |
G |
Alabama |
SEC |
| Landry Shamet |
So. |
G |
Wichita State |
American Athletic |
| Reid Travis |
Sr. |
F |
Stanford |
Pac-12 |
| Allonzo Trier |
Jr. |
G |
Arizona |
Pac-12 |
| Moritz Wagner |
Jr. |
F |
Michigan |
Big Ten |
| Nick Ward |
So. |
F |
Michigan State |
Big Ten |
| Jonathan Williams |
Sr. |
F |
Gonzaga |
WCC |
| Robert Williams |
So. |
F |
Texas A&M |
SEC |