Arizona Wildcats Basketball: USWBA Unveils Award watch list

It’s that time of year again, award boards are publicizing their first stab at watch lists, of the three USBWA awards, only one player from the Arizona Wildcats basketball team made the list.

The U.S. Basketball Writers Association unveiled their early season three annual award watch lists today; two for men’s collegiate basketball players and one for women’s. The two awards for men’s basketball are the Oscar Robertson Trophy (Men’s National Player of the Year), and the Wayman Tisdale Award (Men’s National Freshman Player of the Year).

You have to read the list closely to find the one Arizona Wildcat on the either list, and that player is freshman guard Allonzo Trier. Congrats to Allonzo!

If he stays on track, he may have a good chance to win, it depends on how much he can grow in the next few months. His competition is fierce as he is competing with three other Wildcats freshmen who play for Kentucky.

Trier is also up against Ivan Rabb and Jaylen Brown of the Cal Bears, and Tyler Dorsey of the Oregon Ducks. There are four Pac-12 players up for the freshman award out of 26 total nominees.

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Close to 1,000 USBWA sports journalists who cover college basketball for websites, newspapers, and magazines select the recipients of the awards. The awards are presented at a charity gala at the end of the season, the proceeds go towards supporting youth basketball programs in Oklahoma that allow disadvantaged youth the opportunity to take part in leagues and training.

Last year’s winner of the Oscar Robertson Award was Wisconsin’s Frank ‘The Tank’ Kaminsky. This year, apparently, the voters/writers are not looking at the win/loss record of the teams when they selected the players. Wichita State, who are also playing shorthanded, have earned a 2-4 record. Wichita has two nominees on the list.

There is a total of three Pac-12 nominees on the Oscar Roberton watch list, three out of 33. One has to wonder why Ryan Anderson didn’t make the list. He is looking to have a phenomenal year. No Kaleb Tarczewski either? Was it because he was injured? Their Wildcats team is 5-0.

Anderson did make the early season watch list for the Naismith award. This is fantastic!

Nov 16, 2015; Tucson, AZ, USA; Arizona Wildcats guard Allonzo Trier (11) shoots the ball during the first half against the Bradley Braves at McKale Center. Mandatory Credit: Casey Sapio-USA TODAY Sports

Fun Fact: There are only five out of 12 Pac-12 teams included: Cal, Oregon, Oregon State, Arizona, and Utah. Cal received three nominations. Cal is 4-2 thus far in the season, they lost their last two games to San Diego State and Richmond University.

Ben Simmon‘s from LSU seems to be the frontrunner at this point in time, he scored 43 points, made 14 rebounds and seven assists tonight over the University of Northern Florida, adding to the final score 119-108.

Arizona’s next opponent is Gonzaga this Saturday in Spokane, Washington. The Zags have two players on the nomination list for the Oscar Robertson Award.

We are all going to have to get used to possibly not seeing our Wildcats listed in these award lists, but we are fortunate that they have given Allonzo some deserved attention for the freshman award. Trier is making 81.1% of his free throws, averaging about 11 points per game. The more playing time coach Miller gives him, the better his stats will be.

2015-16 – Allonzo Trier’s Season-to-date Stats

Season	G	MP	FG	FG%	3P	3PA	3P%	FT	FTA	FT%	TRB	AST	STL	BLK	PTS
2015-16	7	154	21	.457	4	19	.211	30	37	.811	15	4	1	1	76
Career	7	154	21	.457	4	19	.211	30	37	.811	15	4	1	1	76

Provided by Sports-Reference.com/CBB: View Original Table
Generated 12/2/2015.

USBWA MEN’S AND WOMEN’S WATCH LISTS

(Arizona, Pac-12 school, Wichita State, Gonzaga)

Oscar Robertson Trophy (Men’s National Player of the Year)
Grayson Allen, Duke
Ryan Arcidiacono, Villanova
Ron Baker, Wichita State
Malcolm Brogdon, Virginia
Kyle Collinsworth, BYU
Kellen Dunham, Butler
Kris Dunn, Providence
Perry Ellis, Kansas
Yogi Ferrell, Indiana
Michael Gbinije, Syracuse
Nigel Hayes, Wisconsin
Buddy Hield, Oklahoma

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Demetrius Jackson, Notre Dame

Damian Jones, Vanderbilt

Skal Labissiere, Kentucky

Caris LeVert, Michigan

Frank Mason III, Kansas

Sheldon McClellan, Miami

Monte Morris, Iowa State

Jamal Murray, Kentucky

Georges Niang, Iowa State

Marcus Paige, North Carolina

Gary Payton II, Oregon StateJakob Poeltl, UtahDomantas Sabonis, Gonzaga

Wayne Selden Jr., Kansas

Ben Simmons, LSU

Melo Trimble, Maryland

Tyler Ulis, Kentucky

Denzel Valentine, Michigan State

Fred VanVleet, Wichita StateTyrone Wallace, CaliforniaKyle Wiltjer, Gonzaga

Wayman Tisdale Award (Men’s National Freshman Player of the Year)
Dwayne Bacon, Florida State
Malik Beasley, Florida State
Isaiah Briscoe, Kentucky
Jaylen Brown, California
Jalen Brunson, Villanova
Cheick Diallo, Kansas
Tyler Dorsey, Oregon
Henry Ellenson, Marquette
Brandon Ingram, Duke
Skal Labissiere, Kentucky
Tyler Lydon, Syracuse
Jamal Murray, Kentucky
Ivan Rabb, California
Malachi Richardson, Syracuse
Ben Simmons, LSU
Caleb Swanigan, Purdue
Allonzo Trier, Arizona
Stephen Zimmerman, UNLV

Next: Arizona Wildcats: Top 30 athletes in school history

Let’s hope more Wildcats make more award lists.

Beardown ZO!

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