University of Tennessee Athletics
Smith Lands on Naismith Trophy Watch List
December 18, 2008 | Men's Basketball
Dec. 18, 2008
Tennessee junior Tyler Smith has been named to the preseason watch list for the 2008-09 Naismith Trophy, the Atlanta Tipoff Club announced Thursday. The 6-7 forward from Pulaski, Tenn., is among six Southeastern Conference players on the 50-man list.
The watch list was compiled by the Atlanta Tipoff Club's Board of Selectors, which based its criteria on player performances from the previous season and expectations for the 2008-09 season. The list does not include incoming freshmen, although those student-athletes will be considered in the first vote in February. The Naismith Trophy, presented by AT&T, will be awarded at the 2009 NCAA Men's Final Four in Detroit, Mich.
"The talent level across all conferences continues to impress, and that will create an even greater challenge for our voting academy when it comes time to select the winner in April," Atlanta Tipoff Club President Gary Stokan said. "And we look forward to this special season, our 40th anniversary of the most prestigious trophy in all of college basketball."
For the sixth consecutive season, presenting sponsor AT&T will once again set the standard in allowing fans to participate in determining this year's winner. Through the technology of text messaging, fan voting will account for an unprecedented 25 percent of the final results - more than any other national college basketball award. At the beginning of February, CBS' "AT&T at the Half" will feature a weekly Naismith Trophy update highlighting the players in contention.
Also in February, the Naismith Trophy voting academy, comprised of leading basketball journalists, coaches and administrators from around the country, will narrow its watch list to the top 30 players in the nation. Those players, and others who distinguish themselves throughout the season, will be eligible for the final ballot in March.
Notable Naismith Men's College Player of the Year winners of the past include Bill Walton, Larry Bird, Michael Jordan, Patrick Ewing and David Robinson.
For more information about the Naismith Trophy or to view the complete watch list, visit www.naismithawards.com.
