ATLANTA – Cincinnati senior forward Gary Clark and Wichita State sophomore guard Landry Shamet were among the 30 players named to the late season team competing to receive the 50
th Citizen Naismith Trophy, the Atlanta Tipoff Club announced today.
From this list, 10 semifinalists will be revealed on Feb. 28, and only those 10 players are eligible for the group of four finalists, which will be released in mid-March.
Clark, a 6-foot-8 senior forward from Clayton, N.C., has recorded an American Athletic Conference-best nine double-doubles, averaging 12.8 points and 8.8 rebounds this season. Clark’s 1,032 career rebounds are the most in conference history and rank third among active NCAA players.
Clark, the 2016 American Defensive Player of the Year, has been named The American Player of the Week three times this year. Last week, Clark was named a finalist for the Karl Malone Award, given to the nation’s top power forward.
Shamet, a 6-foot 4 sophomore point guard from Kansas City, Mo., is averaging a team-high 14.8 points for No. 19 Wichita State (19-5, 9-3 American). He leads the American Athletic Conference in assists (5.2) and assist-to-turnover ratio (2.6) and is in the top-3 in both three-point field goals (62) and three-point percentage (.456). On six occasions this season, Shamet has been named to The American’s weekly honor roll.
Shamet is the first Shocker to make the final 30 since Ron Baker in 2015. In 2014, Fred VanVleet was a semifinalist, and Gregg Marshall was named Naismith National Coach of the Year.
Fans will be able to vote for their favorite player by visiting
naismithtrophy.com/vote between March 19-30 to cast their ballot, and the fan component counts for five percent of the overall final vote. The 50th Citizen Naismith Trophy will be awarded on April 1 in San Antonio, during the NCAA Men’s Final Four.
“The players on the midseason team have displayed the attributes of what it’ll take to advance into the next round. However, there are still tremendous candidates remaining, and the next two weeks will be intensely competitive,” said Eric Oberman, executive director of the Atlanta Tipoff Club. “We look forward to watching them compete for the 50th Citizen Naismith Trophy, and we are excited to continue our legacy of honoring college basketball’s top players during this celebratory season.”
"The Citizen Naismith Trophy celebrates the accomplishments of student-athletes who demonstrate through their play the inner drive and passion that mirrors that of our company’s founding members - Better Starts Now," said Eric Horowitz, managing director U.S. and travel retail, Citizen Watch Company of America, Inc. "These 30 exceptional men have accomplished so much this season and are surely deserving of their spot on this list."
Citizen Naismith Trophy Late Season Team
Deandre Ayton, Fr., F, Arizona
Marvin Bagley III, Fr., F, Duke
Mohamed Bamba, Fr., F, Texas
Keita Bates-Diop, Jr., F, Ohio State
Joel Berry II, Sr., G, North Carolina
Trevon Bluiett, Sr., G, Xavier
Mikal Bridges, Jr., G/F, Villanova
Miles Bridges, So., G/F, Michigan State
Bryce Brown, Jr., G, Auburn
Jalen Brunson, Jr., G, Villanova
Jevon Carter, Sr., G, West Virginia
Gary Clark, Sr., F, Cincinnati
Mike Daum, Jr., F, South Dakota State
Angel Delgado, Sr., C, Seton Hall
Carsen Edwards, So., G, Purdue
Vince Edwards, Sr., F, Purdue
Keenan Evans, Sr., G, Texas Tech
Marcus Foster, Sr., G, Creighton
Devonte' Graham, Sr., G, Kansas
Kyle Guy, So., G, Virginia
Tra Holder, Sr., G, Arizona State
Chandler Hutchison, Sr., G, Boise State
Kevin Knox, Fr., F, Kentucky
Jock Landale, Sr., C, St. Mary's
Caleb Martin, Jr., F, UNLV
Luke Maye, Jr., F, North Carolina
Collin Sexton, Fr., G, Alabama
Landry Shamet, So., G, Wichita State
Allonzo Trier, Jr., G, Arizona
Trae Young, Fr., G, Oklahoma