Kansas junior Thomas Robinson has been 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<http://www.naismithawards.com>.
2011-12 Naismith Trophy Preseason Watch List
Tim Abromaitis, Notre Dame
Harrison Barnes, North Carolina
Will Barton, Memphis
Bradley Beal, Florida
William Buford, Ohio State
Aaron Craft, Ohio State
Anthony Davis, Kentucky
Marcus Denmon, Missouri
Andre Drummond, Connecticut
Festus Ezeli, Vanderbilt
Ashton Gibbs, Pittsburgh
Michael Glover, Iona
Drew Gordon, New Mexico
Draymond Green, Michigan State
JaMychal Green, Alabama
Tim Hardaway Jr., Michigan
Elias Harris, Gonzaga
John Henson, North Carolina
Tu Holloway, Xavier
Robbie Hummel, Purdue
Joe Jackson, Memphis
John Jenkins, Vanderbilt
Orlando Johnson, UC Santa Barbara
Darius Johnson-Odom, Marquette
Perry Jones III, Baylor
Terrence Jones, Kentucky
Kevin Jones, West Virginia
Kris Joseph, Syracuse
Michael Kidd-Gilchrist, Kentucky
Jeremy Lamb, Connecticut
Kendall Marshall, North Carolina
Ray McCallum, Detroit
Doug McDermott, Creighton
Khris Middleton, Texas A&M
Quincy Miller, Baylor
Reeves Nelson, UCLA
Andrew Nicholson, St. Bonaventure
Alex Oriakhi, Syracuse
Austin Rivers, Duke
Thomas Robinson, Kansas
Terrence Ross, Washinton
John Shurna, Northwestern
Peyton Siva, Louisville
Joshua Smith, UCLA
Jared Sullinger, Ohio State
Jordan Taylor, Wisconsin
Jeffery Taylor, Vanderbilt
Marques Teague, Kentucky
Patric Young, Florida
Tyler Zeller, North Carolina
— KU Sports Information —