Nerlens Noel – photo by Tammie Brown | WildcatWorld.com
Three Kentucky Wildcats — all freshmen — are on the early season watch list for the Naismith Trophy, given annually by the Atlanta Tipoff Club to the top player in college basketball.
Freshmen Nerlens Noel, Archie Goodwin and Alex Poythress made the initial list of 50. Former Wildcat Anthony Davis, the No. 1 overall selection in the 2012 NBA Draft, won the award last year, the first-ever Naismith Trophy for a Kentucky player.
The 50-player 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 2012-13 season. The Naismith Trophy will be awarded April 7 in Atlanta.
