Naismith Award: Top 50 Early-Season Men's Watch List Announced

One of the biggest honors in all of college basketball is the Naismith College Player of the Year Award. Since 1969, some of the biggest and most important figures in the history of the sport have had this honor bestowed upon them. 

Players like Lew Alcindor, Larry Bird, Michael Jordan, Patrick Ewing and Kevin Durant have won the Naismith Award, which is handed out by the Atlanta Tipoff Club. 

With the start of the 2012-13 college basketball season, the Atlanta Tipoff Club has released its list of the top 50 early-season men's players to watch. These are the biggest and best players in the sport who figure to be in the mix for the Naismith Award at the end of the year. 

The list is comprised of 32 upperclassmen and 18 underclassmen, including seven freshmen. Last year's winner, Anthony Davis, joined Durant as the only other freshman to earn the honor. Davis was also the first player from the University of Kentucky to win the award. 

As the season moves along, this list will be dwindled down to 30 names on February 26. On March 4 the Atlanta Tipoff Club will name four finalists, with the winner being announced on April 7, the day before the NCAA title game in Atlanta. 

Here are the 50 players who comprise the early-season men's watch list for the Naismith Award. 

NAISMITH AWARD EARLY-SEASON LIST
UCLA F Kyle Anderson
Louisville F Chane Behanan
Florida G Kenny Boynton
N.C. State G Lorenzo Brown
Michigan G Trey Burke
Murray State G Isaiah Canaan
Syracuse G Michael Carter-Williams
Butler G Rotnei Clarke
Notre Dame F Jack Cooley
Ohio G D.J. Cooper
Ohio State G Aaron Craft
Saint Mary's G Matthew Dellavedova
Louisville C Gorgui Dieng
Missouri G Michael Dixon Jr.
San Diego State G Jamaal Franklin
Penn State G Tim Frazier
Kentucky G Archie Goodwin
Gonzaga F Elias Harris
Baylor G Pierre Jackson
Cincinnati G/F Sean Kilpatrick
N.C. State F C.J. Leslie
Arizona G Mark Lyons
Minnesota F Trevor Mbakwe
North Carolina F James Michael McAdoo
Lehigh G C.J. McCollum
Creighton F Doug McDermott
Kansas State G Rodney McGruder
Kansas G Ben McLemore
North Texas F Tony Mitchell
UNLV F Mike Moser
UCLA G/F Shabazz Muhammad
Kentucky F Nerlens Noel
Gonzaga G Kevin Pangos
Duke F Mason Plumlee
Georgetown F Otto Porter
Kentucky F Alex Poythress
Missouri G Phil Pressey
Colorado F Andre Roberson
Louisville G Peyton Siva
Oklahoma State G Marcus Smart
Florida State G Michael Snaer
Tennessee F Jarnell Stokes
Memphis F Adonis Thomas
Ohio State F DeShaun Thomas
Indiana F Christian Watford
Kansas C Jeff Withey
South Dakota State G Nate Wolters
Arkansas G B.J. Young
Florida C Patric Young
Indiana F Cody Zeller

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