LSU's Ben Simmons (left) and Oklahoma's Buddy Hield (right) highlight the Naismith midseason watch list.
The list of players eligible for the Naismith Trophy has been trimmed to 35.
The initial 50-man 2015-16 watch list was released last December. The 10 semifinalists will be announced March 2 and four finalists will be revealed on March 20. The winner receives the award on the first weekend of April during the Final Four in Houston.RELATED:
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Since 1969, The Naismith Trophy has been given annually to the nation’s best college basketball player. Dominant center Lew Alcindor (UCLA) won the first award and scoring machine Pete Maravich (LSU) earned it the following year. In recent seasons past winners included seniors Frank Kaminsky (Wisconsin, 2015) and Doug McDermott (Creighton, 2014), freshmen Anthony Davis (Kentucky, 2012) and Kevin Durant (Texas, 2007), guards such as Trey Burke (Michigan, 2013) and forwards like Blake Griffin (Oklahoma, 2009).
See the complete midseason list of players below:
| Name | CLASS | POSITION | SCHOOL | CONFERENCE | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| AJ Hammons | Senior | C | Purdue | Big 10 | |
| Anthony "Cat" Barber | Junior | G | North Carolina State | ACC | |
| Ben Bentil | Sophomore | F | Providence | Big East | |
| Ben Simmons | Freshman | F | LSU | SEC | |
| Brandon Ingram | Freshman | G-F | Duke | ACC | |
| Brice Johnson | Senior | F | North Carolina | ACC | |
| Buddy Hield | Senior | SG | Oklahoma | Big 12 | |
| Damion Lee | Senior | G | Louisville | ACC | |
| Demetrius Jackson | Junior | G | Notre Dame | ACC | |
| Denzel Valentine | Senior | G | Michigan State | Big 10 | |
| Dillon Brooks | Sophomore | F | Oregon | Pac 12 | |
| Domantas Sabonis | Sophomore | PF | Gonzaga | West Coast | |
| Fred VanVleet | Senior | PG | Wichita St. | Missouri Valley | |
| Gary Payton II | Senior | G | Oregon State | Pac 12 | |
| Georges Niang | Senior | PF | Iowa State | Big 12 | |
| Grayson Allen | Sophomore | SG | Duke | ACC | |
| Jakob Poeltl | Sophomore | F-C | Utah | Pac 12 | |
| Jalen Jones | Junior | G-F | Texas A&M | SEC | |
| Jamal Murray | Freshman | SG | Kentucky | SEC | |
| Jameel Warney | Senior | F | Stony Brook | American East | |
| Jarrod Uthoff | Senior | F | Iowa | Big 10 | |
| Josh Hart | Junior | SG | Villanova | Big East | |
| Kay Felder | Junior | PG | Oakland | Horizon | |
| Kris Dunn | Junior | G | Providence | Big East | |
| Kyle Wiltjer | Senior | PF | Gonzaga | West Coast | |
| Malcolm Brogdon | Senior | SG | Virginia | ACC | |
| Melo Trimble | Sophomore | PG | Maryland | Big 10 | |
| Monte Morris | Junior | G | Iowa State | Big 12 | |
| Nic Moore | Senior | PG | SMU | American Athletic | |
| Perry Ellis | Senior | PF | Kansas | Big 12 | |
| Sheldon McClellan | Senior | G | Miami (Fla.) | ACC | |
| Trevon Bluiett | Sophomore | G | Xavier | Big East | |
| Tyler Ulis | Sophomore | PG | Kentucky | SEC | |
| Wayne Selden Jr. | Junior | G-F | Kansas | Big 12 | |
| Yogi Ferrell | Senior | PG | Indiana | Big 10 |
