Oubre Named Finalist for 2015 Wayman Tisdale Freshman of the Year Award
ST. LOUIS – Kansas freshman guard Kelly Oubre, Jr., has been named one of 10 finalists for the 2015 Integris Wayman Tisdale Freshman of the Year Award, the U.S. Basketball Writers Association (USBWA) announced Monday. The list recognizes first-year players as members of the USBWA’s board of directors chose the elite rookies to be included on the list as contenders for the national freshman of the year award.
Ballots for this season’s USBWA men’s honors will be distributed March 2 and the association will announce the winner of the 2015 Integris Wayman Tisdale Award on Mon., March 16.
Oubre has started 17 games this season and all 16 Big 12 Conference contests. The New Orleans native has scored in double figures 12 times, including nine against Big 12 competition in 2014-15. A two-time Big 12 Newcomer of the Week selection, Oubre averages 10.0 points per contest in league outings and 8.8 points per game for the season. Additionally, he is second on the team with 31 steals and averages 5.0 rebounds per contest. He is the only Big 12 representative on the top-10 list.
The award is to be officially presented to the national freshman of the year at the Devon Energy College Basketball Awards on April 14 at the National Cowboy and Western Heritage Museum in Oklahoma City. The Oscar Robertson Trophy and the Henry Iba Coach of the Year Award will also be presented at the gala that is held annually the week following the NCAA Men’s Final Four.
The late Wayman Tisdale was a three-time USBWA All-American at the University of Oklahoma. Following a stint on the 1984 U.S. Olympic basketball team, he played 12 seasons in the NBA before retiring in 1997 to focus on a blossoming jazz music career. In March 2007, he was diagnosed with cancer and, following a courageous and difficult battle that included the amputation of his right leg in 2008, he passed away in May 2009.
The Integris Wayman Tisdale Freshman of the Year Award is produced by Access Sports, an Oklahoma City-based 501(c)(3) not-for-profit foundation responsible for creating the Wayman Tisdale Freshman of the Year Award. Access Sports produces all events associated with the award, including the annual awards dinner. Proceeds from the activities affiliated with the award are used to support various worthy charitable causes, including providing opportunities for disadvantaged youth to participate in basketball leagues, clinics, and training throughout the state. In addition, Access Sports supports the Wayman L. Tisdale Foundation which helps fund prosthetics for those who cannot afford the cost on their own and may not be covered by insurance.
A complete list of the finalists for the 2015 Integris Wayman Tisdale Award can be found at: http://www.sportswriters.net/usbwa/news/2015/tisdale150302.html.
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