Wiggins Named Semifinalist for Naismith Trophy
ATLANTA – Kansas freshman Andrew Wiggins has been named one of 10 semifinalists for the 2014 Men’s Naismith Trophy, the Atlanta Tipoff Club announced Friday.
Four finalists for the Naismith Trophy will be announced March 23. On Thursday, Feb. 27, Wiggins was also selected as one of 15 finalists for the Oscar Robertson Trophy, which is the U.S. Basketball Writers Association’s (USBWA) National Player of the Year award. He, along with KU teammate Joel Embiid, is also one of six finalists for the USBWA’s Wayman Tisdale Award, recognizing the organization’s National Freshman of the Year.
Wiggins leads Kansas with a 16.3 scoring average, the best among Big 12 freshmen and ninth overall in the conference. The Vaughan, Ontario, Canada, guard has made 35 threes this season and is the team leader with 29 steals. Wiggins’ 5.8 rebound average is third on the team and 18th in the conference. A gifted shooter, Wiggins also ranks among the Big 12 leaders in field goal percentage (11th at 44.8) and free throw percentage (ninth at 75.9). He is a two-time Big 12 Newcomer of the Week and was the Wayman Tisdale National Freshman of the Week on Jan. 28.
The last Jayhawk to be named a Naismith Trophy semifinalist was Thomas Robinson in 2012. He would later be named one of the four finalists for the award.
No. 5/6 Kansas (22-6, 13-2) has won at least a share of the 2013-14 Big 12 Conference regular-season title, its 10th-straight, 14th Big 12 and NCAA-leading 57th overall. The Jayhawks will travel to Oklahoma State (18-10, 6-9) Saturday, at 8 p.m. on ESPN College GameDay.
For a complete list of finalists Click Here.
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