🏀 Kansas Duo Named to USBWA Watch List
INDIANAPOLIS – The Kansas duo of Hunter Dickinson and Kevin McCullar Jr. has been named to the 40-member 2023-24 Oscar Robertson Trophy and All-America Watch List, the U.S. Basketball Writers Association (USBWA) announced Tuesday. Members of the association’s board of directors chose the players that will be considered as contenders for the Oscar Robertson Trophy representing the national player of the year.
Dickinson and McCullar are looking to become the second player from Kansas to win the Oscar Robertson Trophy, joining Frank Mason who won the award in 2017.
A six-time Big 12 weekly award winner in 2023-24, Dickinson leads the Big 12 and is seventh nationally in rebounds per game at 10.9. The Alexandria, Virginia, center’s 14 double-doubles lead the Big 12 and are 11th nationally. With 18.3 ppg, which is second in the Big 12 behind McCullar, Dickinson is the only player in the Big 12 averaging a double-double. He also leads KU with 32 blocked shots and has 28 steals.
Dickinson is on most every midseason All-America and national player of the year watch list. Dickinson enters Tuesday’s game against BYU with 2,111 points and 1,080 rebounds and is one of four active players in NCAA Division I to surpass both 2,000 points and 1,000 rebounds for his career. Prior to joining Kansas last summer, Dickinson was a three-time all-conference honoree while at Michigan and a 2021 Consensus All-America Second Team selection.
Like Dickinson on most every midseason All-America and national player of the year watch lists, McCullar leads the Big 12 in scoring at 19.0 points per game, which is 50th nationally. The San Antonio guard’s two triple-doubles are the second most in the NCAA. McCullar is tied for the KU lead with 37 three-point field goals made. His 6.4 rebounds per game are second on the team and he ranks in 11 Big 12 statistical categories.
A two-time national Naismith Defensive Player of the Year semifinalist and three time All-Big 12 selection, for his career McCullar has scored 1,478 points with 737 rebounds, 333 assists and 212 steals. He has 105 starts in his 135 games played, including 56 starts in 56 contests in his two seasons at Kansas.
The 40 honored players for the Oscar Robertson Trophy and All-America consideration will be placed on the association’s annual awards ballot, which will be distributed to members. The ballot also includes the Wayman Tisdale National Freshman Player of the Year Award, the Henry Iba National Coach of the Year Award and the 15-man USBWA All-America Team. Members will have until Sunday, March 10 to vote for all of the honors that are based on regular-season performance. Write-ins will be accepted on the ballot as well.
The USBWA board will then review and verify the results so that its All-America Team, Freshman Player of the Year and National Coach of the Year will be announced before the start of the men’s NCAA Tournament.
The Oscar Robertson Trophy winner is to be announced at the NCAA Men’s Final Four in Glendale, Arizona, from April 6-8. The formal presentation of the trophy will follow at the annual USBWA Awards Luncheon hosted by the Missouri Athletic Club in St. Louis.
USBWA 2023-24 Oscar Robertson Trophy and All-America Watch List
Armando Bacot, North Carolina
Keion Brooks, Washington
Johni Broome, Auburn
Tommy Bruner, Denver
Boo Buie, Northwestern
Devin Carter, Providence
L.J. Cryer, Houston
Johnell Davis, Florida Atlantic
R.J. Davis, North Carolina
Tucker DeVries, Drake
HUNTER DICKINSON, KANSAS
Zach Edey, Purdue
Terrence Edwards Jr., James Madison
Kyle Filipowski, Duke
Enrique Freeman, Akron
P.J. Hall, Clemson
Blake Hinson, Pittsburgh
DaRon Holmes II, Dayton
Xavier Johnson, Southern Illinois
David Jones, Memphis
Jordan King, Richmond
Dalton Knecht, Tennessee
Tyler Kolek, Marquette
Jaedon LeDee, San Diego State
Caleb Love, Arizona
KEVIN MCCULLAR JR., KANSAS
Tristen Newton, Connecticut
Great Osobor, Utah State
Antonio Reeves, Kentucky
Kadary Richmond, Seton Hall
Hunter Sallis, Wake Forest
Baylor Scheierman, Creighton
Mark Sears, Alabama
Terrence Shannon, Illinois
Jamal Shead, Houston
K.J. Simpson, Colorado
Braden Smith, Purdue
Isaiah Stevens, Colorado State
Tyler Thomas, Hofstra
Vonterius Woolbright, Western Carolina
