Kansas Junior Thomas Robinson Named to Naismith Trophy Watch List

Nov. 7, 2011

ATLANTA – Kansas junior Thomas Robinson was named to the 2011-12 Naismith Trophy preseason watch list the Atlanta Tipoff Club announced Monday evening.

Robinson has been listed on numerous preseason All-America teams entering the 2011-12 season. The Washington, D.C., native averaged 14.6 minutes in 33 games with two starts last season and was the Jayhawks’ most productive player off the bench, averaging 7.6 points and 6.4 rebounds per game. Robinson notched four double-doubles in 2010-11 and his 60.1 shooting percentage ranked second highest on the team.

Kansas’ Danny Manning, a current assistant on the Jayhawk staff, won the 1988 Naismith Men’s College Player of the Year Trophy.

The watch list was compiled by the Atlanta Tipoff Club’s Board of Selectors, which based its criteria on player performances from the previous year and expectations for the 2011-12 college basketball season. The Naismith Trophy presented by AT&T will be awarded at the 2012 NCAA Men’s Final Four in New Orleans.

In February, during CBS’ coverage of college basketball, the “AT&T at the Half” segment will feature a Naismith Trophy update highlighting the players in contention for the award.

In late February, the Atlanta Tipoff Club’s Board of Selectors will compile a mid-season team of the top 30 players in the nation. The Naismith Trophy voting academy will then vote to narrow the list to four finalists in March.The Naismith Trophy is the most prestigious national award presented annually to college basketball’s player of the year. For more information, visit www.naismithawards.com.
2011-12 Naismith Trophy Preseason Watch ListTim Abromaitis, Notre DameHarrison Barnes, North CarolinaWill Barton, MemphisBradley Beal, FloridaWilliam Buford, Ohio StateAaron Craft, Ohio StateAnthony Davis, KentuckyMarcus Denmon, MissouriAndre Drummond, ConnecticutFestus Ezeli, VanderbiltAshton Gibbs, PittsburghMichael Glover, IonaDrew Gordon, New MexicoDraymond Green, Michigan StateJaMychal Green, AlabamaTim Hardaway Jr., MichiganElias Harris, GonzagaJohn Henson, North CarolinaTu Holloway, XavierRobbie Hummel, PurdueJoe Jackson, MemphisJohn Jenkins, VanderbiltOrlando Johnson, UC Santa BarbaraDarius Johnson-Odom, MarquettePerry Jones III, BaylorTerrence Jones, KentuckyKevin Jones, West VirginiaKris Joseph, SyracuseMichael Kidd-Gilchrist, KentuckyJeremy Lamb, ConnecticutKendall Marshall, North CarolinaRay McCallum, DetroitDoug McDermott, CreightonKhris Middleton, Texas A&MQuincy Miller, BaylorReeves Nelson, UCLAAndrew Nicholson, St. BonaventureAlex Oriakhi, SyracuseAustin Rivers, DukeThomas Robinson, KansasTerrence Ross, WashintonJohn Shurna, NorthwesternPeyton Siva, LouisvilleJoshua Smith, UCLAJared Sullinger, Ohio StateJordan Taylor, WisconsinJeffery Taylor, VanderbiltMarques Teague, KentuckyPatric Young, FloridaTyler Zeller, North Carolina