Three Jayhawks Named to Naismith Trophy Men’s 50 Watch List

ATLANTA – Kansas men’s basketball junior Perry Ellis, sophomore Wayne Selden, Jr., and freshman Cliff Alexander have been named to the Naismith Trophy Men’s 50 Watch List, the Atlanta Tipoff Club announced Wednesday.
 
Kansas is one of four schools with three student-athletes listed among the 50-member list, joined by Arizona, Duke and Kentucky. The KU trio makes up one-third of the Big 12’s nine players listed.
 
Named the MVP of the Orlando Classic, the Big 12 Player of the Week (12/1) and the CBSSports.com National Player of the Week (12/1), Ellis leads KU with 15.3 points and 7.0 rebounds per game. The Wichita, Kansas, forward has scored 17 or more points in each of his last four games and has two double-doubles on the season. Alexander scores 9.7 points per game and is tied for the team lead with nine blocked shots through six contests. The Chicago forward averages 6.0 rebounds per outing and is shooting 56.3 percent from the field. Selden is tied for the team high with 22 assists. The Roxbury, Massachusetts, guard is scoring 7.7 points and pulls down 3.8 rebounds per game.
 
The watch list will be cut down to a midseason 30 on Feb. 12, 2015, with the 10 semifinalists for the Naismith Award announced March 6. Four semifinalists will be named March 22 with the winner announced April 5. For complete list of the Naismith Trophy Men’s 50 Watch List go to: http://www.naismithtrophy.com/2014-watch-list/naismith-trophy-mens-50-watch-list/.
 
No. 11/11 Kansas (5-1) will play host to No. rv/24 Florida (3-3) on Friday, Dec. 5, at 8 p.m. (Central) in the SEC/Big 12 Challenge on ESPN. Florida junior G Michael Frazier II is also on the Naismith Trophy Men’s 50 Watch List.
 
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