INDIANAPOLIS – Penn State senior forward Lamar Stevens has been selected as one of 46 standout players by the U.S. Basketball Writers Association for its initial watch list for the Oscar Robertson Trophy, presented to the men's national player of the year.
The Nittany Lions' top scorer at 17.5 points a game, Stevens needs 13 points to move into the No. 3 spot on Penn State's all-time scoring list. The Philadelphia, Pa., product has started in every game in which he has played for Penn State, 112 consecutive contests, and has 36 career games with 20 or more points.
Since its founding in 1956, the USBWA has named a national player of the year. In the 1997-98 season, the award was named in honor of the legendary Oscar Robertson, "The Big O." In addition, the USBWA selects an All-America team and All-District teams, players and coaches of the year.
The 2019-20 Oscar Robertson Trophy will be presented at the NCAA Final Four in Atlanta in April. The winner will be also be honored at the annual USBWA Awards Luncheon at the Missouri Athletic Club in St. Louis on Mon., April 13, 2020. The association's Henry Iba Award (national coach of the year) and Wayman Tisdale Award (national freshman player of the year) winners will also be honored at the luncheon as well as the Ann Meyers Drysdale Award and the Tamika Catchings Award, honoring the women's national and freshman players of the year.
While all Division I players are eligible for the Oscar Robertson Trophy, the USBWA board has chosen the players on the watch list to promote the award and give the membership, which votes on all USBWA awards, an early look at some of the best players in the country. In January, the USBWA will release a second watch list, followed by finalists after All-America balloting is complete in March 2020.
The USBWA formally expanded its All-America team to 15 players in 2019 and many of the players on this watch list will contend for All-America honors. In addition, the USBWA continues to name an Oscar Robertson National Player of the Week each Tuesday.
Following is the complete 2019-20 Oscar Robertson Trophy Watch List:
2019-20 OSCAR ROBERTSON TROPHY WATCH LIST
F Lamar Stevens, Penn State (6-8, 225, Sr., Philadelphia, Pa.)
G Ty-Shon Alexander, Creighton (6-4, 195, Jr., Charlotte, N.C.)
G Cole Anthony, North Carolina (6-3, 190, Fr., New York, N.Y.)
C Udoka Azubuike, Kansas (7-0, 270, Jr., Delta, Nigeria)
G Desmond Bane, TCU (6-6, 215, Sr., Richmond, Ind.)
C Charles Bassey, WKU (6-11, 230, So., Lagos, Nigeria)
F Kerry Blackshear Jr., Florida (6-10, 241, Gr., Orlando, Fla.)
G Jared Butler, Baylor (6-3, 190, So., Reserve, La.)
G Anthony Cowan, Maryland (6-0, 180, Sr., Bowie, Md.)
G Jarron Cumberland, Cincinnati (6-5, 210, Sr., Wilmington, Ohio)
G Antoine Davis, Detroit Mercy (6-1, 160, So., Birmingham, Ala.)
F Mamadi Diakite, Virginia (6-9, 224, Sr., Conakry, Guinea)
G Devon Dotson, Kansas (6-2, 185, So., Charlotte, N.C.)
F Anthony Edwards, Georgia (6-5, 225, Fr., Atlanta, Ga.)
G Jordan Ford, Saint Mary's (6-1, 175, Sr., Folsom, Calif.)
C Luka Garza, Iowa (6-11, 260, Jr., Washington, D.C.)
G Jon Axel Gudmundsson, Davidson (6-5, 200, Sr., Grindavik, Iceland)
F TJ Holyfield, Texas Tech (6-8, 225, Sr., Albuquerque, N.M.)
G Markus Howard, Marquette (5-11, 180, Sr., Chandler, Ariz.)
G Jhivvan Jackson, UTSA (6-0, 170, Jr., Bayamon, Puerto Rico)
G Tre Jones, Duke (6-3, 185, So., Apple Valley, Minn.)
F/C Nathan Knight, William & Mary (6-10, 253, Sr., Syracuse, N.Y.)
F Anthony Lamb, Vermont (6-6, 227, Sr., Rochester, N.Y.)
G Jermaine Marrow, Hampton (6-0, 182, Sr., Newport News, Va.)
G Tyrese Maxey, Kentucky (6-3, 198, Fr., Garland, Texas)
G Skylar Mays, LSU (6-4, 205, Sr., Baton Rouge, La.)
G Sam Merrill, Utah State (6-5, 205, Sr., Bountiful, Utah)
F John Mooney, Notre Dame (6-9, 245, Sr., Orlando, Fla.)
F Aaron Nesmith, Vanderbilt (6-6, 213, So., Charleston, S.C.)
F Zeke Nnaji, Arizona (6-11, 240, Fr., Hopkins, Minn.)
F Jordan Nwora, Louisville (6-7, 225, Jr., Buffalo, N.Y.)
F Reggie Perry, Mississippi State (6-10, 250, So., Thomasville, Ga.)
F Filip Petrusev, Gonzaga (6-11, 235, So., Belgrade, Serbia)
G Myles Powell, Seton Hall (6-2, 195, Sr., Trenton, N.J.)
G Payton Pritchard, Oregon (6-2, 190, Sr., West Linn, Ore.)
F Nick Rakocevic, USC (6-11, 225, Sr., Chicago, Ill.)
G Jordan Roland, Northeastern (6-1, 171, Sr., Syracuse, N.Y.)
F Marcus Santos-Silva, VCU (6-7, 250, Jr., Taunton, Mass.)
C Jon Teske, Michigan (7-1, 265, Sr., Medina, Ohio)
F Tres Tinkle, Oregon State (6-7, 225, Sr., Missoula, Mont.)
F Obi Toppin, Dayton (6-9, 220, So., Brooklyn, N.Y.)
F Kaleb Wesson, Ohio State (6-9, 270, Jr., Westerville, Ohio)
G Cassius Winston, Michigan State (6-1, 185, Sr., Detroit, Mich.)
C James Wiseman, Memphis (7-1, 240, Fr., Nashville, Tenn.)
G McKinley Wright IV, Colorado (6-0, 196, Jr., North Robbinsdale, Minn.)
C Omer Yurtseven, Georgetown (7-0, 264, Sr., Istanbul, Turkey)
The U.S. Basketball Writers Association was formed in 1956 at the urging of then-NCAA Executive Director Walter Byers. With some 900 members worldwide, it is one of the most influential organizations in college basketball. It has selected an All-America team since the 1956-57 season. For more information on the USBWA and the Oscar Robertson Trophy, contact executive director Malcolm Moran at 814-574-1485.
Single-game tickets are available for the Penn State Big Ten opener on December 10 and all remaining home games at the Bryce Jordan Center. The mobile flex plan offers convenient options for fans to attend several games throughout the season. Visit GoPSUsports.com/mbbtickets for more information.
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