WICHITA, Kan. – Wichita State point guard
Landry Shamet was one of 32 players named to the Oscar Robertson Trophy preseason watch list, Monday afternoon. Those listed are considered frontrunners for the Oscar Robertson Trophy, awarded annually by the U.S. Basketball Writers Association to its national player of the year.
Shamet – a redshirt sophomore from Kansas City, Mo. – averaged 11.4 points and 3.3 assists last year on his way to first team all-conference honors. He's one of the headliners for a Shocker team that ranks seventh nationally in the Associated Press preseason poll.
Shamet and Cincinnati forward Gary Clark are the lone representatives from the American Athletic Conference. WSU will also go head-to-head with South Dakota State junior Mike Daum (the nation's top returning scorers at 25.3 points per game) and could potentially meet up with Notre Dame's Bonzie Colson at the Maui Invitational.
Shamet continues a recent trend of WSU players on the watch lists. Former Shocker Ron Baker was a 2015 finalist for the Robertson Trophy. Fred VanVleet and Cleanthony Early made the midseason list in 2014.
The Shockers face Newman Monday evening at Charles Koch Arena in their final exhibition tune up. The 7 p.m. tip airs on YurView Kansas (Cox HD 2022).
2017-18 Oscar Robertson Trophy Preseason Watch List (32):
Jaylen Adams, St. Bonaventure
Deng Adel, Louisville
Grayson Allen, Duke
KeVaughn Allen, Florida
Deandre Ayton, Arizona
Marvin Bagley III, Duke
Mohamed Bamba, Texas
Joel Berry II, North Carolina
Trevon Bluiett, Xavier
Miles Bridges, Michigan State
Bruce Brown Jr., Miami
Jalen Brunson, Villanova
Jevon Carter, West Virginia
Wendell Carter Jr., Duke
Gary Clark, Cincinnati
Bonzie Colson, Notre Dame
Mike Daum, South Dakota State
Angel Delgado, Seton Hall
Hamidou Diallo, Kentucky
Trevon Duval, Duke
Devonté Graham, Kansas
Ethan Happ, Wisconsin
Kevin Knox, Kentucky
Jock Landale, Saint Mary's
Yante Maten, Georgia
Chimezie Metu, USC
Michael Porter Jr., Missouri
Collin Sexton, Alabama
Landry Shamet, Wichita State
Reid Travis, Stanford
Allonzo Trier, Arizona
Robert Williams, Texas A&M
By conference: ACC 8, SEC 7, Pac-12 4, Big 12 3, Big East 3,
American 2, Big Ten 2, Atlantic-10 1, Summit League 1, West Coast 1
By position: Forwards 15, Guards 14, Centers 3
By class: Seniors 11, Juniors 8, Sophomores 4, Freshmen 9
While these standout players are the initial contenders for the Oscar Robertson Trophy, all NCAA Division I players are eligible for postseason honors from the USBWA. For the ninth straight season, the USBWA will present an Oscar Robertson National Player of the Week each Tuesday beginning Dec. 12.
In mid-March, the USBWA will announce its 2017-18 All-America Team and, at that time, finalists will also be chosen for the player of the year. Once finalists are announced, the entire USBWA membership will vote for the winner of the Oscar Robertson Trophy.
Since the 1958-59 season, the USBWA has named a National Player of the Year. In 1998, the award was named in honor of the University of Cincinnati Hall of Famer and two-time USBWA Player of the Year Oscar Robertson. It is the nation's oldest player of the year award and the only one named after a former player.
The U.S. Basketball Writers Association was formed in 1956 at the urging of then-NCAA Executive Director Walter Byers. With more than 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, visit sportswriters.net/usbwa.
