Marquette University Athletics

Markus Howard Named To Naismith Trophy Watch List
11/6/2018 10:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
Junior guard one of 50 players selected
Today, the Atlanta Tipoff Club announced 50 men's players to watch for the 2019 Citizen Naismith Trophy Men's Player of the Year honor. A list of the midseason 30 team will be released on Feb. 13, 2019, followed by the 10 national semifinalists and four finalists on March 4, 2019 and March 19, 2019 respectively. The 2019 Citizen Naismith Trophy will be awarded on at the Naismith Awards Brunch on April 7, 2019, during the Final Four in Minneapolis.Â
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"This time of year is filled with excitement, optimism and anticipation as each team is undefeated and the race for the Citizen Naismith Trophy is wide open. These 50 candidates are ones to keep an eye on, but there will be plenty of others who will enter the competition throughout the season," said Eric Oberman, executive director of the Atlanta Tipoff Club. "It's great to have the season tipping off tomorrow."
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2019 Citizen Naismith Trophy Men's Preseason Watch List
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Overall, the ACC tops the list with 10 players represented, while the SEC is a close runner-up with nine candidates on the Watch List. Duke, which has won more Citizen Naismith Trophies (7) than any other school, and Kentucky lead the Watch List with three players apiece. The 2018 Naismith High School Player of the Year award winner, R.J. Barrett, also made this year's college Watch List. Players who do not make the Watch List are still eligible to be selected for the Midseason 30 Team.Â
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ABOUT THE ATLANTA TIPOFF CLUB
Founded during the 1956-57 season, the Atlanta Tipoff Club is committed to promoting the game of basketball and recognizing the outstanding accomplishments of those who make the game so exciting. The Atlanta Tipoff Club administers the Naismith Awards, the most prestigious national honors in all of college and high school basketball. Named in honor of Dr. James Naismith, inventor of the game of basketball, the family of Naismith Awards annually recognizes the top men's and women's college and high school basketball players and coaches. Other Naismith Awards are presented to the men's and women's college basketball defensive players of the year, as well as lifetime achievement awards to basketball officials and outstanding contributors to the game. UCLA's Lew Alcindor received the first Citizen Naismith Trophy in 1969, while the late Anne Donovan (Old Dominion) was the inaugural women's recipient in 1983. Corporate partners of the Naismith Awards include the Citizen Watch Company, Werner Ladder and Bona.
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ABOUT CITIZEN
Citizen, a pioneer in watchmaking and innovative technology since 1918, promotes excellence and creativity with a deep-rooted respect for craftsmanship. Citizen advocates "Better Starts Now," searching for and accomplishing goals that are cause driven. In this respect, Citizen aligns with organizations and personalities that reflect the values of the brand including the Billie Jean King Leadership Initiative, Naismith Awards, National Merit Scholarship, and Good360.
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For over 40 years, Citizen's Eco-Drive technology has served as the prime example of how the brand is dedicated to making the world and its environment a better place. A simple yet revolutionary concept, Eco-Drive harnesses the power of light from any natural or artificial light source and converts it into energy, eliminating the need for any battery replacement.
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"This time of year is filled with excitement, optimism and anticipation as each team is undefeated and the race for the Citizen Naismith Trophy is wide open. These 50 candidates are ones to keep an eye on, but there will be plenty of others who will enter the competition throughout the season," said Eric Oberman, executive director of the Atlanta Tipoff Club. "It's great to have the season tipping off tomorrow."
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2019 Citizen Naismith Trophy Men's Preseason Watch List
| NAME | CLASS | POSITION | SCHOOL | CONFERENCE |
| Kamar Baldwin | Jr. | G | Butler | BIG EASTÂ |
| R.J. Barrett | Fr. | F | Duke | ACC |
| Tyus Battle | Jr. | G | Syracuse | ACC |
| Bennie Boatwright | Sr. | F | USC | Pac-12 |
| Bol Bol | Fr. | C | Oregon | Pac-12 |
| Phil Booth | Sr. | G | Villanova | BIG EASTÂ |
| Ky Bowman | Jr. | G | Boston College | ACC |
| Barry Brown | Sr. | G | Kansas State | Big 12Â |
| Jordan Caroline | Sr. | G/F | Nevada | Mountain West |
| Clayton Custer | Sr. | G | Loyola of Chicago | Missouri Valley |
| Mike Daum | Sr. | F | South Dakota State | Summit League |
| Carsen Edwards | Jr. | G | Purdue | Big Ten |
| Jon Elmore | Sr. | G | Marshall | Conference USA |
| Daniel Gafford | So. | F | Arkansas | SEC |
| Darius Garland | Fr. | G | Vanderbilt | SEC |
| Jessie Govan | Sr. | C | Georgetown | BIG EASTÂ |
| Kellan Grady | So. | G | Davidson | Atlantic 10 |
| Quentin Grimes | Fr. | G | Kansas | Big 12 |
| Kyle Guy | Jr. | G | Virginia | ACC |
| Rui Hachimura | Jr. | F | Gonzaga | WCC |
| Ethan Happ | Sr. | F | Wisconsin | Big Ten |
| Markus Howard | Jr. | G | Marquette | BIG EASTÂ |
| De'Andre Hunter | So. | G | Virginia | ACC |
| Keldon Johnson | Fr. | G | Kentucky | SEC |
| Sagaba Konate | Jr. | F | West Virginia | Big 12 |
| Romeo Langford | Fr. | G | Indiana | Big Ten |
| Dedric Lawson | Jr. | F | Kansas | Big 12 |
| Nassir Little | Fr. | F | North Carolina | ACC |
| Caleb Martin | Sr. | F | Nevada | Mountain West |
| Charles Matthews | Sr. | G | Michigan | Big Ten |
| Luke Maye | Sr. | F | North Carolina | ACC |
| Juwan Morgan | Sr. | F | Indiana | Big Ten |
| Jordan Murphy | Sr. | F | Minnesota | Big Ten |
| James Palmer Jr. | Sr. | G | Nebraska | Big Ten |
| Eric Paschall | Sr. | F | Villanova | BIG EASTÂ |
| Shamorie Ponds | Jr. | G | St. John's | BIG EASTÂ |
| Cam Reddish | Fr. | F | Duke | ACC |
| Justin Robinson | Sr. | G | Virginia Tech | ACC |
| Admiral Schofield | Sr. | G | Tennessee | SECÂ |
| Chris Silva | Sr. | F | South Carolina | SECÂ |
| Killian Tillie | Jr. | F | Gonzaga | WCC |
| Reid Travis | Sr. | F | Kentucky | SECÂ |
| Dean Wade | Sr. | F | Kansas State | Big 12 |
| P.J. Washington | So. | F | Kentucky | SECÂ |
| Tremont Waters | So. | G | LSU | SEC |
| Lindell Wigginton | So. | G | Iowa State | Big 12 |
| Kris Wilkes | So. | G | UCLA | Pac-12 |
| Grant Williams | Jr. | F | Tennessee | SEC |
| Zion Williamson | Fr. | F | Duke | ACC |
| Cassius Winston | Jr. | G | Michigan State | Big Ten |
Overall, the ACC tops the list with 10 players represented, while the SEC is a close runner-up with nine candidates on the Watch List. Duke, which has won more Citizen Naismith Trophies (7) than any other school, and Kentucky lead the Watch List with three players apiece. The 2018 Naismith High School Player of the Year award winner, R.J. Barrett, also made this year's college Watch List. Players who do not make the Watch List are still eligible to be selected for the Midseason 30 Team.Â
Â
ABOUT THE ATLANTA TIPOFF CLUB
Founded during the 1956-57 season, the Atlanta Tipoff Club is committed to promoting the game of basketball and recognizing the outstanding accomplishments of those who make the game so exciting. The Atlanta Tipoff Club administers the Naismith Awards, the most prestigious national honors in all of college and high school basketball. Named in honor of Dr. James Naismith, inventor of the game of basketball, the family of Naismith Awards annually recognizes the top men's and women's college and high school basketball players and coaches. Other Naismith Awards are presented to the men's and women's college basketball defensive players of the year, as well as lifetime achievement awards to basketball officials and outstanding contributors to the game. UCLA's Lew Alcindor received the first Citizen Naismith Trophy in 1969, while the late Anne Donovan (Old Dominion) was the inaugural women's recipient in 1983. Corporate partners of the Naismith Awards include the Citizen Watch Company, Werner Ladder and Bona.
Â
ABOUT CITIZEN
Citizen, a pioneer in watchmaking and innovative technology since 1918, promotes excellence and creativity with a deep-rooted respect for craftsmanship. Citizen advocates "Better Starts Now," searching for and accomplishing goals that are cause driven. In this respect, Citizen aligns with organizations and personalities that reflect the values of the brand including the Billie Jean King Leadership Initiative, Naismith Awards, National Merit Scholarship, and Good360.
Â
For over 40 years, Citizen's Eco-Drive technology has served as the prime example of how the brand is dedicated to making the world and its environment a better place. A simple yet revolutionary concept, Eco-Drive harnesses the power of light from any natural or artificial light source and converts it into energy, eliminating the need for any battery replacement.
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